David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 349: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the measures her Department has considered or is considering introducing, in addition to the measures introduced on 27 October 2005 as a result of the European Commission decision on avian influenza; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34932/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Since the confirmed outbreaks in Russia and Kazakhstan in July and the more recent outbreaks in Turkey, Romania and Croatia, a range of measures have been put in place to further minimise the risk of the introduction of the H5N1 avian influenza virus into the European Union and, consequently, Ireland.

Since the initial outbreaks of the H5N1 virus in south east Asia in late 2003, the EU Commission has moved swiftly to apply safeguard measures to any affected countries that, essentially, ban the importation into the Community of poultry and certain specified poultry products from those countries. In addition, the Commission has now banned the importation of captive birds and has placed controls on the importation of pet birds. All of the Commission decisions have now been transposed into Irish law through a series of statutory instruments that I signed over the past few weeks.

These decisions include a ban on the gathering of birds for shows, exhibitions, markets and cultural events, other than under licence in regard to the latter, I have made and provision for the licensing of caged bird shows and pigeon shows. This ban will be reviewed at EU level before the end of November and may well be extended for a further period. This is another entirely reasonable measure to minimise the risk of introduction of the disease. I am satisfied that the measures taken to date are proportionate to the risk of the introduction of the virus and represent a reasonable and measured response. My Department is constantly reassessing the level of risk and is updating its contingency arrangements based on that risk assessment. Notwithstanding the measures taken to date, I will not hesitate to take such additional measures as I consider appropriate to any increased level of risk.

My Department is actively engaged at EU and international level and will continue to take account of the most up to date national and international veterinary and scientific advice available to us from such sources as the EU, the FAO and the OIE. While I have no particular plans to introduce any further specific measures at this time, I am keeping the situation under review and have given consideration to other measures which it may be appropriate to introduce in the future, including the possibility of requiring compulsory housing of all free range and organic poultry. This is a measure that I do not consider necessary at the moment given the current level of risk but is one that might well be appropriate in the event, for example, of confirmed outbreaks of the virus within the EU or in countries that are on a direct migratory flyway to or from Ireland.