Billy Timmins
Ceist:26 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when he plans to change the sheep registration system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20673/02]
Written Answers. - Sheep Identification System.
Paddy McHugh
Ceist:45 Mr. McHugh asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his proposals to implement a practical and workable flock based system of sheep identification and traceability to replace the existing complex identification, registration and reconciliation system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20706/02]
Willie Penrose
Ceist:49 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his proposals to overhaul the sheep-tagging system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20824/02]
Denis Naughten
Ceist:57 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will address the current difficulty with sheep tagging. [20708/02]
Pádraic McCormack
Ceist:80 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when he plans to change the sheep register system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20912/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 26, 45, 49, 57 and 80 together.
I remain fully committed to the principles of the national sheep identification system, which provides the means by which each individual animal in the national flock can be identified and traced from birth to carcass, with ensuing benefits in areas such as disease monitoring and control, consumer assurance and flock management. Based on its monitoring, my Department believes that the system is generally working well. I have, however, always made it clear that specific difficulties which flockowners may encounter will be examined with a view to resolving such difficulties within the key parameters of the system. In this context and as a result of feedback to the Department from flockowners and via farmers' representative bodies it is acknowledged that full reconciliation with the flock register may be difficult for some farmers, given the fact that the group approach to recording details in the register had been agreed. As a means of addressing this problem, I have decided that the reconciliation for 2002 should be simplified. A letter outlining full details of this adjustment in approach is being issued to all flockowners this week.
My Department is also examining a submission received from the IFA on 11 October last, suggesting certain adjustments to the identification system. Clarification on a number of points, in particular on the traceability element, which is particularly important in terms of disease control and monitoring, has been sought from the IFA. My Department will be better able to address and respond to the submission once this clarification is to hand. Any further adjustments, refinements or improvements contemplated by my Department would necessarily give full weight to the need to protect the integrity of the identification and traceability dimensions of the system, while taking account of forthcoming EU proposals. Any such further refinements would, in any event, fall to be introduced in 2003 rather than this year.