Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 166: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the grant assistance in place to deal with scrapie monitoring; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26492/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Since January 2005, under the Department's active surveillance programme, some 17,900 sheep were rapid tested for scrapie at meat factories and knackeries. This programme, together with the reporting of suspect animals, led to the identification of 18 new flocks with the disease.

For sheep which are depopulated, compensation payable includes live valuation of the breeding animals and payment for factory lambs in accordance with the average factory price per kilogram pertaining to the week of slaughter. A grant of €28 per breeding ewe is also payable. In addition, the Department genotypes the entire flock and a limited number of replacement rams free of charge.

In May 2004, the Department commenced a national genotype programme. The overall objective of this voluntary scheme is to identify sheep in the national flock, particularly breeding stock, by genotype and to raise the level of resistance to scrapie by promoting the use of scrapie resistant animals for breeding. The Department recently announced enhancements to this national genotype programme, including a once-off payment of €40 towards the costs of veterinary fees, in respect of every flock which is genotyped between 1 September and 18 November 2005. In addition, the Department will also pay a flat-rate compensation in respect of any ram which, when tested during the above period, is found to be in one of the categories which are susceptible or highly susceptible to scrapie.

The amount of compensation payable to any one claimant will be capped at €1,500. In order to avail of this compensation, susceptible animals must be presented for slaughtered on or before 30 November 2005.