Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 13 Feb 2003

Vol. 561 No. 3

Written Answers. - Bovine Disease Controls.

Brian O'Shea

Ceist:

32 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if investigations have been conducted into the discovery of BSE in all animals born after the ban on meat and bonemeal; the outcome of those investigations; if changes or amendments to the anti-BSE control measures are envisaged on foot of those investigations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3854/03]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

My Department's investigations into the two cases of BSE in animals born in 1999 are continuing. The first of these cases was confirmed on 29 November in a Montbelliarde bull in County Limerick, when the herd cohorts of a 1993, born infected animal were slaughtered and tested for the disease. The second case was discovered in a non-pedigree friesian cow in County Kerry in December 2002, when a veterinary surgeon, upon noticing clinical symptoms associated with BSE, reported his suspicions to the local district veterinary office.

Both these cases were located in the same general area and were born within a week of each other. Both were about 45 months of age at the time of detection, well above the age threshold for testing in meat plants, and both were detected long before they could have entered the food chain. While factors have been identified in both cases which could be associated with BSE, it is still too early to draw any definitive conclusions in relation to either case. It would not be appropriate to provide any further detail at this stage lest it prejudice the ongoing investigations.

Finally, considerable time and attention has been devoted to the control regime for BSE. All of the relevant controls are fully operational and are kept under review. If ongoing operational experience indicates that controls should be adjusted, this will be done as necessary. Current controls include,inter alia, whole herd depopulation, tracing and culling of birth cohorts and progeny of BSE-infected animals, a ban on feeding meat and bonemeal to all farmed animals intended for human consumption, compulsory notification of the disease, ante and post mortem inspections at all meat plants, the removal of SRM from the human food and animal feed chains, and a comprehensive active surveillance programme among all cattle over 30 months of age and all casualty cattle over 24 months of age in meat plants, and all fallen cattle over 24 months of age in knackeries. For the present the evidence is that these controls are working well, particularly in the light of the underlying trend in the level of disease. However, all aspects of the control measures are kept under continuous review.