Jim Glennon (Dublin North, Fianna Fail)
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Question 76: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food her views on progress on the recommencement of live sheep exports to the continent. [12208/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Trade in sheep between member states of the European Union is subject to the provisions of Council Directive 91/68/EEC, as amended, which provides reinforced controls on the movement of sheep and goats. Until very recently, these controls provided, as a minimum requirement, that breeding and fattening sheep had to be certified by an official veterinarian as having been continuously resident on a holding for at least 30 days prior to export and that no sheep or goats had been introduced on to the holding in the 21 days prior to export. Slaughter sheep had also to be certified as having been continuously resident on the holding of origin for at least 21 days prior to export and were also subject to a standstill period of 21 days prior to dispatch during which no sheep or goats have been introduced on to the holding of origin.

These controls were introduced in the aftermath of the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 and came into effect on 1 July 2004. Having been aware of the difficulties that these certification requirements caused, I instructed my Department to raise the matter with the European Commission in an effort to arrive at a certification procedure that best meets the concerns of farmers and exporters while, at the same time, protecting animal health.

I am pleased that, in response to our approach, the European Commission submitted proposals to amend these certification requirements to allow the official veterinarian to issue certification based on a written declaration by the farmer or on an examination of the flock register and movement documents. The proposals providing for these new arrangements were agreed to unanimously by the standing committee on the food chain and animal health on 11 November 2005 and came into force on 15 February 2006. I am confident that they will resolve most of the outstanding difficulties in relation to residency-standstill certification for exports of sheep to France and the United Kingdom. While I am happy to facilitate live sheep exports in any way I can, I would point out that securing outlets and the supply and availability of transport for the carriage of livestock is of course a commercial matter not within the remit of my Department.