Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

I ask the Minister of State to comment on a quotation attributed to a senior official in DG SANCO, which said that the Government did not object - this was carried in the Irish Farmers' Journal recently. It seems the Government did not lodge any objection to the electronic sheep tagging system. Is it a fait accompli that it is now Government policy to go ahead? Is it now Government policy, in view of the fact that it did not object to electronic tagging for sheep and in view of the Minister's remarks on the benefits of electronic tagging for cattle, to go along headlong in support of an EU proposal on electronic tagging for bovines?

See this speech in context