John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

The Department has introduced a number of initiatives. As I said, it has distributed two booklets, one for the farmer and one for the vet. We have also had a short-time strategy involving a training and information seminar for interested private veterinary practitioners, which took place in January last and was attended by 80 vets. It is intended to hold further seminars with Teagasc advisers and the Department in the near future.

As part of the next phase of the review in 2004, and on the basis of an identified need to generate rapidly increased awareness, Teagasc, the ICOS, Veterinary Ireland and the Department organised a series of workshops. Within the Department, a medium-term strategy involves research and it will include measures such as the evaluation of a number of diagnostic and screening methods for Johne's disease and the interim provision of diagnostic supports at the central veterinary research laboratory. The Department has allocated approximately €400,000 for this purpose over the past two years. The Department is considering consulting the industry and other interested parties on a number of other initiatives which will form a strategy to address Johne's disease. A number of issues must be resolved but we intend to proceed with a pilot initiative.

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