Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 141: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food her views on the compensation of horse breeders affected by swamp fever restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3759/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Since the first case of equine infections anaemia, or 'swamp fever', was confirmed in June 2006, a total of twenty-eight cases have been confirmed, the most recent on 10 December 2006. The increasing intervals between cases, over eight weeks since the last case, and the amount of blood testing being done — over 14,000 samples tested in January — give increasing confidence that the outbreak has been contained and that significant progress has been made towards its eradication.

The considerable progress that has been made is largely attributable to prompt and comprehensive actions of my Department, including the imposition of movement restrictions and the introduction of an extensive surveillance programme, with over 42,000 blood samples having been tested by the Irish Equine Centre and my Department's Central Veterinary Research Laboratory since June 2006. My Department could not, however, have achieved the progress made to date without the support and cooperation of the Irish bloodstock industry — both the thoroughbred and non-thoroughbred sectors.

It is my view that the most practical way in which my Department can assist horseowners affected by EIA is to take such measures as are appropriate to ensure its containment and speedy eradication. I am entirely satisfied that my Department did take such measures promptly and effectively and that the progress made to date reflects that approach.

In all, fifty-three premises were, at one stage or another, placed under movement restriction while the number of horses placed under restriction was in excess of 1200. All but seven of the premises have been lifted while almost ninety per cent of the horses have now been derestricted.

My Department did meet recently with representatives of a number of horse owners whose premises were subject to movement restriction to discuss the issue of financial assistance in respect of losses claimed to have been incurred as a consequence of their having been restricted. My officials made clear at that meeting that the Department does not intend to make any such payments and that remains my position.

In recognition of the financial burden, associated with the cost of testing restricted horses, I introduced a package of financial measures in August 2006 to support those owners whose horses had been restricted and subject to a surveillance programme of at least ninety days. This included a financial contribution for each visit by a veterinarian to take blood samples as well as the cost of testing those samples. To date, the cost of this package to the Department has been in excess of €100,000. In addition, veterinary inspectors from my own Department have taken several thousand blood samples as part of a specifically targeted surveillance programme in Counties Meath, Dublin and Kildare, a significant proportion of which were subsequently tested at my Department's Central Veterinary Research Laboratory. The entire cost of this phase of the extensive surveillance programme is being met by my Department.