Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 October 2015
65. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason samples taken from sheep for genotyping purposes are sent to Edinburgh University in Scotland at a cost of €30 each, rather than being sent to an Irish laboratory at a lower cost. [36678/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Genotype Programme was launched in May 2004 and involves the genotyping of sheep to enable farmers select the most scrapie resistant animals for breeding. The programme is a voluntary one and the cost of genotyping is borne directly by farmers. I understand that no Irish based laboratory has offered a commercial genotyping service in this area since 2005.
