Vol. 554 No. 5
360 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the contingency plans for future outbreaks of foot and mouth disease and scrapie will be implemented on an all-Ireland basis as part of the proposed animal health strategy. [16888/02]
361 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the progress made to date on the creation of an all Ireland animal health strategy. [16889/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 360 and 361 together.
The development of a common unified animal health strategy for the island of Ireland is an objective of the North-South Ministerial Council. To date a considerable amount of progress has been made towards achieving this objective. Advances have been made on a number of specific initiatives concerning controls and policies at the point of import onto the island of Ireland and regarding the development of common guidelines for those involved in agriculture on bio-security measures and scrapie. In addition, a comprehensive review has been conducted on the scope for convergence of animal health policies and a timetable has been agreed for action to achieve convergence. Side by side with these developments, the extent of contact, co-operation and co-ordination between the northern and southern administrations has intensified both at political and official level.
A number of working groups have been established under the aegis of the North-South Ministerial Council to carry forward the detailed work in regard to animal identification and traceability, cross Border fraud, disease surveillance, import and export policies, TSEs and other animal diseases, animal welfare and veterinary medicines.
Complete alignment of policies is contingent on certain external factors including the attitude of the European Union, the development of complementary strategies within Great Britain and further developments in regard to BSE. In this connection, at its most recent meeting on 27 September last, the Council instructed that officials should seek to finalise discussions with the authorities in Great Britain prior to final agreement of the strategy by the North-South Ministerial Council at the end of the year.
The development of an all Ireland animal health strategy includes the adoption of a unified or complementary approach towards disease surveillance and disease prevention and control, including contingency plans for the prevention and control of any future outbreaks of foot and mouth disease. In so far as sheep scrapie is concerned, the European Union is tabling proposals for scrapie genotyping and control and this will provide the framework for North-South convergence.
