Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 174: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps which she is taking to introduce an all-island animal health regime; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18976/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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There is already a long history of co-operation between the administrations North and South on animal health issues. The administrations have traditionally shared information at local and national levels on disease control and surveillance issues and have worked together to combat illegal movements of animals and animal products. The foot-and-mouth emergency of 2001 is a testament to the extent of co-operation and consultation that exists at official, Ministerial and political levels. Likewise, both administrations are co-operating on measures relating to avian influenza.

The establishment of the North South Ministerial Council offered an opportunity to build on existing co-operation arrangements and provided a framework for the development of an all-island animal health policy. The main objectives of the Council are to foster co-operation and to devise a common, unified animal health strategy for the island as a whole. This involves the convergence of animal health policies and the development of joint strategies for dealing with animal diseases. The ultimate objectives are to establish a common import regime and equivalent internal arrangements with a view to achieving free movement of animals and animal products within the island.

The programme of work mandated by the NSMC to agree a common animal health and welfare strategy for the island has been taken forward by nine working groups at official level. The remit of these groups includes TB and Brucellosis, TSEs (BSE and Scrapie), veterinary medicines, other Zoonoses and animal diseases, disease surveillance, animal welfare, import and export of live animals and animal products, animal identification, traceability and cross-border aspects of fraud.

These working groups meet regularly and their work has focused on three main themes:

∙Common or equivalent controls at points of entry to the island;

∙Convergence of internal animal health policies; and

∙Development of joint strategies for the control of animal disease.

The main achievements to date are the development of a co-ordinated and complementary approach towards import policies and portal controls at points of entry to the island, the convergence of policies in regard to animal identification and Scrapie and the strengthening of co-ordination and co-operation between both administrations on a variety of issues such as FMD, BSE and cross-border fraud. These groups continue to report progress in exchange of information and in implementation of initiatives aimed at policy convergence and the development of a common unified strategy for the island as a whole.

It must also be recognised that the achievement of such an all-island animal health strategy involves complex dialogue and negotiation over a range of areas between the Irish, Northern Irish and British authorities. Ultimately, the agreement of the European Union will be required.

In addition to the above, there has been a significant deepening and strengthening of co-operation, information exchange and ongoing co-ordination between the two administrations on a variety of issues such as FMD, BSE, Avian Influenza and cross-border fraud while the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council includes representation from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, (DARD). DARD was also represented at a recent meeting of the Avian Influenza Advisory Group and will also be represented at future meetings of the Group which indicates the collaborative approach taken by Dublin and Belfast in relation to challenges ahead. On cross-border fraud, the two administrations have worked together successfully in a number of joint enforcement actions and ongoing exchanges of expertise and information are taking place.

In relation to the EU decision to lift the BSE ban on exports from the United Kingdom from 3 May 2006, arrangements have been agreed and put in place between our two administrations to facilitate the trade of cattle from Northern Ireland for slaughter, breeding and production.