Dan Neville
Ceist:365 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position regarding the movement regulations put in force during the foot and mouth crisis. [16959/02]
Written Answers. - Animal Movement Regulations.
The animal movement control arrangements put into place during last year's foot and mouth emergency have been largely dismantled. However, certain provisions in relation to cattle and sheep have been retained in an ongoing effort to slow down animal movement and to avoid the dispersal of disease through animal movement and contact. The principal trigger for spread of disease is deemed to be animal movement, particularly continuous movement such as through dealers' premises or movement involving multiple source contacts or destinations such as through marts. Thus, the measures now in place are focused on these higher risk areas. They comprise a limit on the number of sales that may take place of an animal within a 30 day period where there has been a dealer involvement. In addition, a permitting arrangement for the movement of cattle from farm to farm continues to apply.
Apart from the foregoing, dealers must be registered and must maintain records of transactions, etc. and systems of identification and traceability of sheep and pigs have been introduced under the NSIS, national sheep identification system, and NPITS, the national pig identification and tracing system, respectively.