Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

Investigations have been completed into eight of the cases involving post-1997 births. They are both dairy and suckler farms and I have stated the counties which are affected. It has not been possible to establish definitively the source of the disease in individual cases as they occurred several years ago. In two of the cases, the positive animals may have been exposed to infection through environmental contamination with bovine carcass parts associated with the illegal knackeries. The Department took a prosecution on 7 September 2005 on my behalf on that basis.

It is difficult to give definitive answers but the only assurances I can give the House is that they will be fully investigated and that the checks and balances within the food system are such that these animals do not move into the food chain. This is a very important matter. The Department has very strict controls and methodology. All the herd must be slaughtered when there is an incidence of BSE and I am aware many farmers have concerns about this policy. Independent supervision is provided by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

The other assurance I can give the House is that the Department has been informed by the scientific advisers that there is no definitive way of deciding on a total eradication over a certain period. We should all welcome the significant reduction in the numbers of BSE found and for this I thank all those Members and everyone in the sector who was involved. I do not have an answer, nor does anyone else, in my view, as to the reason there are still animals born before 1997 who have BSE. The advice is there can be sporadic instances, for example, one in a million. This may not give a full and definitive answer but I assure the House it is fully investigated and all information is made available to the Department.

See this speech in context