Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 122: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the way in which the costs of implementing a national herd health initiative should be apportioned as between the Government and the other stakeholders in the related industries; and if she will make a statement on when the next national herd health initiative will be completed. [32888/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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There are a range of diseases which impact on animal health, animal welfare and productivity while a number of them have the potential to affect public health. Many of our competitors have programmes in place to reduce and eradicate some of these diseases and increasingly, authorities in some importing countries are demanding certification that products are derived from animals or herds that are free from specified diseases and/or that there are control programmes in place in the country of origin.

For the foregoing reasons my Department has engaged in preliminary discussions with various interested parties with a view to developing a comprehensive and integrated national approach to control these diseases. As the discussions are on-going final decisions have not yet been made on the detailed arrangements for this initiative. However, it is envisaged that the various stakeholders would play a key role in the delivery of the programme and that activities would be funded by the relevant parties including the State.