Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 551: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the progress made by her Department in the development of systems to support disease eradication schemes incorporating on-line access for veterinary practitioners and subsequently catering for farmer access; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10127/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department completed the roll out of a new animal health computer system in February 2005. The system is operational in all of the Department's district veterinary offices, relevant laboratories and headquarters.

This new computer system is an essential element in supporting the Department's various animal health and welfare activities and brings the benefits of modern technology to the administration of the Department's various programmes. The system is principally being used for the management of the TB and brucellosis eradication schemes at present — the Department carries out some 9 million TB tests and some 5 million brucellosis tests annually. Subsequent phases of the system will see it extended to deal with other bovine health programmes as well as disease programmes in pigs, sheep and poultry sectors. It has recently been extended to facilitate the creation of a national database of all keepers of domestic poultry and captive birds as part of the Department's response to the threat of an outbreak of avian influenza. Further enhancements will be made to the system on a modular basis.

The system provides on-line access to the Department's database for private veterinary practitioners in the context of the disease eradication schemes and allows the Department and practitioners to exchange data electronically. The system has proved to be very successful. It is actively used by more than 900 private veterinary practitioners in approximately 400 practices throughout the country. These practitioners account for about 95% of all testing conducted under the TB and brucellosis eradication schemes.

The cattle movement monitoring system, CMMS, complements the AHCS in relation to TB and brucellosis testing by providing a list of the numbers and details of cattle in bovine herds. The CMMS is also used to systematically identify cattle to be traced and tested for BSE purposes, to assist in veterinary certification for third country markets and as an integral part of the antemortem process at factories and for pre-clearance of live exports.

In keeping with the e-Government strategy of facilitating better citizen access and interaction with the public service it is proposed at a later stage to allow farmers electronic access to information on this system relating to their herds. The Deputy will be aware that farmers can view details of their bovine herd on-line via the animal identification and movement, AIM, system by logging on to the Department's website, www.agriculture.gov.ie/es and accessing e-services, the electronic service of the Department. The on-line herd profile inquiry facility will allow farmers to view on-line details of their cattle herd profiles as well as movements into and out of herds. The facility to register calf births on-line through the Department's website is also available. Farmers may also complete applications on-line for compliance certificates for farm to farm sales.

The Department also supplies herd profiles to farmers on a regular basis which enable them to ensure that notifications to the database are up-to-date.