Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason butchers cannot bone out bovine animals on their premises over 24 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3551/07]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Regulation (EC) No. 999/2001 designates certain bovine tissues as specified risk material, SRM, and lays down rules for its removal as a public health protection measure in the context of BSE controls.

In its opinion of 28 April 2005, the European Food Safety Authority concluded that a scientific basis existed to review the age limit for the removal of certain SRM in bovine animals, in particular as regards the vertebral column. In July 2005 the EU Commission adopted a reflection paper, the TSE, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, roadmap, looking at the next steps that could be taken with regard to BSE in the short, medium and long term.

After consultation with member states and stakeholders, Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1974/2005 was adopted in December 2005. This regulation provided that the age limit for removing vertebral column, including dorsal root ganglia of bovine animals as SRM, could be increased from 12 to 24 months. Provision is also made for further review of the age limit, which would have to be on the basis of scientific advice.

The requirement for authorisation of retail establishments such as butchers for the specific activity of handling and removing SRM is prescribed in European and national regulations. The environmental health officers service of the Health Service Executive, under service contract to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, implements these regulations in retail butchers shops. Butchers are required either to declare non-handling of SRM or to comply with the standards for authorisation for handling of SRM. Authorisation ensures that this material is removed and disposed of in a manner that protects consumers. Butchers seeking authorisation need to demonstrate the presence of systems to ensure adequate identification, separation, removal, storage and disposal of SRM.

Retail butchers who choose not to handle SRM can handle all beef from animals under 24 months. In addition, unauthorised retail butchers can handle beef from animals over 24 months if it has been boned out or has its vertebral column removed prior to intake. The handling of SRM at retail level has been identified as a priority area for protection of consumers. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has consulted the trade on the approach to implementing these regulations and it has published an extensive set of frequently asked questions to assist the trade in understanding these requirements.

The EU Commission has indicated that an opinion is awaited from the European Food Safety Authority that will determine whether an increase in the age limit for the removal of vertebral column as SRM, from 24 months to 30 months, can be considered. However, it may still take some time for the European Food Safety Authority to reach a definitive conclusion on this matter.

Any provision for a change in the age limit for the removal of vertebral column would have to be on the basis of a proposal from the European Commission and approved within the framework of the standing committee on animal health and the food chain.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his response. The Minister of State will be aware that many family butchers are under significant financial pressures currently, and many are going out of business. The loss of that sector of the market would be bad from a farmer's point of view as it provides some kind of competition to the big meat plants. It also gives variety to the consumer, which is critically important.

Scientific advice is currently that animals under 30 months do not need to be tested and there is no risk associated with BSE for animals under that age. Why is there a 24-month rule when a 30-month rule is already in place that considers the matter from a scientific basis?

When will the European Food Safety Authority make a decision on the issue? The difficulty is that with beef up to 24 months, the bone to meat ratio is quite high. As a result, there are significant additional costs on butchers boning out animals themselves or having to pay a meat plant or abattoir up to €500 for every four animals boned out. As this is putting considerable financial pressure on the butchers, will the Minister of State indicate a timetable on the matter?

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Naughten raised a number of important points. All of us were delighted to see some new butcher establishments open and we know the great service those traditional butchers continue to give. We want them to be in as competitive a position as possible in the supply of meat and other products.

At political level, through the Minister, Deputy Coughlan, and at senior chief veterinary officer level at the Standing Committee on Animal Health and the Food Chain, Ireland has argued strongly for an increase in the time limits. We have argued this consistently and strongly for some time. The matter has been raised by the Minister and by me with the Commissioner. It has been raised at Council of Ministers' meeting level and it has also been argued vigorously by the chief veterinary officer. The position is that we will continue to pursue that issue.

We have not been given an indicative timeframe for when the European Food Safety Authority is likely to issue a further recommendation, but it is an issue that we have consistently kept on the agenda of the Standing Committee on Animal Health and the Food Chain and of the Council of Ministers. We realise the issues involved on which we need to make progress.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Has any progress been made on the other section, that 30 months is still being held as the time by which animals must be tested? It is clear that at least 36 months would be realistic and would make a considerable difference to the cattle trade. This change would have implications right down the line.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Crawford probably will be aware that a negative conclusion was reached in the European Parliament. The proposal now is that the Commission would give each member state the competence to make the decision itself. Unfortunately, that will not happen tomorrow either. It is also an important issue on which there has been some progress. We want to see further progress, as the Deputy rightly pointed out.

One important aspect of the specified risk material regarding BSE which would be welcomed by all sides of the House is that while the number of cases in 2002 stood at 333, that figure had reduced to 41 by 2006. We hope to see even further progress on such incidences this year.