Martin Brady (Dublin North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food her plans for simplifying the registration system for sheep here. [24481/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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On the 14th June I announced that, following discussions at EU level and consultations at national level, certain adjustments were being made to the sheep flock register, to the dispatch document and to the tagging requirements for bought-in sheep, the aim of which is to simplify the arrangements for producers.

New formats for the flock registers and dispatch documents have now been agreed and finalised. These new formats meet the EU requirements and will reduce the amount of recording that will have to be undertaken by flock owners. In particular, the dispatch document will now have certain details pre-printed and will therefore be more user friendly. The new format registers and dispatch documents together with guidelines for producers will be supplied directly to flock owners in early Autumn.

I have also provided for a significant change to the tagging requirements for bought-in sheep under the National Sheep Identification System. In future, sheep bought for fattening may be tagged on exit from the new holding rather than on entry as required heretofore with, however, all such sheep required to be tagged by the 1st of May following purchase. This new regime will allow tagging and recording to be sequential, with a consequent reduction in workload for flock owners.

I am aware that the identification system imposes a burden on producers. However, it is a legal requirement on producers across the EU and is vital to ensure traceability, particularly in the context of animal disease controls. We must not lose our focus on this as we strive to develop additional markets for our product. I am, however, confident that the new arrangements will help to ease the burden and will make compliance easier to achieve. I am, of course, always open to consider other improvements which might be made to the system so long as they do not compromise traceability. I am pleased that the changes which I announced have been welcomed by farmer representatives.