Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

There has been one very public case which was the prosecution taken in Tralee on 7 September. Another similar case involves an illegal knackery. Of the other cases, some have not been in a position to give us any information. The Department is very strict regarding the feed industry. This time last year, there was a debacle involving three loads of bone speckle which caused consternation. The consternation was necessary because these are the issues which are brought forward and which are a cause of grave concern to the Department. The Department is reminding those involved in the feed industry. Farmers are acutely aware of this issue.

On the question of storage, a number of years ago the ban was for ruminants and not necessarily for other animals and there may have been cross-contamination at the time which was many years ago. A calf may have gone into a place where it should not have been. The Deputy can rest assured that these cases will be fully investigated. When any new scientific information becomes available, it is used in these investigations. Like the Deputy, the Department also wants to achieve an end result.

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