Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 389: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason butchers can not bone out bovine animals over 24 months on their premises; the reason same is not increased to 30 months in line with BSE and SRM restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40308/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Regulation (EC) No. 999/2001 designates certain bovine tissues as specified risk material (SRM) and lays down rules for its removal as a public health protection measure in the context of BSE controls.

In its opinion of 28 April 2005 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that a scientific basis existed to review the age limit for the removal of certain SRM in bovine animals, in particular as regards the vertebral column. In July 2005 the EU Commission adopted a reflection paper, the TSE Roadmap, looking at the next steps that could be taken with regard to BSE in the short, medium and long term. After consultation with the Member States and stakeholders, Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1974/2005 was adopted in December 2005. This Regulation provided that the age limit for removing vertebral column, including dorsal root ganglia of bovine animals as SRM could be increased from 12 to 24 months. Provision is also made for further review of the age limit, which would have to be on the basis of scientific advice.

The requirement for authorisation of retail establishments such as butchers for the specific activity of handling and removing SRM is prescribed in European and national regulations. The Environmental Health Officers Service of the Health Service Executive, under service contract to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) implements these regulations in retail butchers shops. Butchers are required either to declare non-handling of SRM or to comply with the standards for authorisation for handling of SRM. Authorisation ensures that this material is removed and disposed of in a manner which protects consumers. Butchers seeking authorisation need to demonstrate the presence of systems to ensure adequate identification, separation, removal, storage and disposal of SRM.

Retail butchers who choose not to handle SRM can handle all beef from animals under 24 months. In addition unauthorised retail butchers can handle beef from animals over 24 months if it has been boned out or has its vertebral column removed prior to intake. The handling of SRM at retail level has been identified as a priority area for protection of consumers. The FSAI has consulted with the trade on the approach to implementing these regulations, and has published an extensive set of Frequently Asked Questions on its website, www.fsai.ie, to assist the trade in understanding these requirements.

The requirement that all bovine animals over 30 months of age, slaughtered for human consumption, must be tested for BSE is also provided for in Regulation (EC) No. 999/2001. Under the Regulation, as it currently stands, I have no discretion to raise the age limit at which bovines destined for human consumption must be tested.

Regulation (EC) No. 999/2001 is currently in the process of being revised, though it is not now anticipated that the proposed amendments will become law before 2007. The amendments, as currently drafted, would enable Member States to seek the approval of the Commission and other Member States for revisions to their annual monitoring programmes to change the age limit for testing for BSE in healthy animals slaughtered for human consumption. Such applications would be on the basis of a range of criteria relating to the BSE situation and controls in the particular country. These criteria have yet to be determined and may yet take some time to finalise.

I, and my officials, have made repeated and consistent efforts to have the age thresholds for the various categories of animals changed, based on the results of surveillance carried out here and I will, of course, continue to press for a change in the age threshold at every opportunity.