Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I compliment Mr. Sheahan who spoke about the animal identification and movement, AIM, system for cattle. If it takes me 50 years to build something, and if I move it on to something else, doing so is not that complex. With the horse industry, why have we not brought in a chip, DNA and AIM system where there is a card set up for each horse? If a farmer wants to move a calf, a weanling or a bullock, he or she can go online and do it in a matter of five or ten minutes. It is no big deal. If it goes to a mart, the mart will do it automatically.

If an animal is exported it basically tells them straight out so you can write them off. If an animal dies and goes to a knackery, it is the same system.

There was talk of the EU wanting this and the EU wanting that, in the line that we are sort of doing what the EU wants. For an industry that is so important, why is Ireland not leading the way ahead of everyone else? Mr. Sheahan talked about Hong Kong but he also mentioned the UK, France and other places. When we have probably one of the best systems brought in for cattle why are we not leading the way? Will we lead the way in the next six months because of the controversies and the dangers involved with the talk at the moment about all of this? There was a programme last night but I did not see it. That programme covered the investigative side of it, the doping side of it and all the different angles. Why are we not European leaders on this? Forget about EU legislation; we should ensure Ireland is out there in front and has the transparency. That system is on our right hand because we have had it done for some time. Fair play to the Department, over the years it is one of the best systems ever seen.

The witnesses talked about horses going outside racing or whatever and it is very easy to prove something if someone goes to a site. However, at the moment it has been admitted that when the veterinary girl, I forget what she is called, goes out to a site-----