Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 475: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will designate a specific agency to take overall responsibility for monitoring the health database of animals living near a plant (details supplied) in County Limerick. [32871/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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From 1995 to 1998 the reported animal disease problems in the Askeaton area were the subject of a comprehensive multi-agency investigation under the auspices of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. The report of this investigation, which was published in August 2001, concluded that although a small number of farms experienced notable difficulties, there was no evidence of serious or unusual problems in the wider Askeaton area.

There is no objective evidence available to my Department to suggest that there has been any change in the general animal health situation in the area since the final report was published. On that basis I do not believe that there are grounds which would justify the designation of a specific agency to take overall responsibility for monitoring the health database of animals in the area in question. Where individual problems occur, as would be the case anywhere in the country, the veterinary laboratory service of my Department is available to support local veterinary practitioners and their clients and this will remain the case.

With regard to Askeaton, the regional veterinary laboratory in Limerick provides services free of charge where the private veterinary practitioner deems tests to be necessary.