Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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Question 746: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will commission experts independent of her Department to examine the handling of instances of cattle sickness and deaths in a number of cases (details supplied). [14491/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department along with other agencies carried out extensive investigations to establish the sources of problems in respect of the cases mentioned, some of which occurred several years ago. The herdowners involved were kept informed of progress and, where appropriate, reports were produced detailing progress.

In view of the expertise employed and the involvement of agencies other than my Department in the investigations, I do not believe that the commissioning of experts independent of my Department would necessarily contribute in any significant way to the investigation of such cases.

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 748: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will increase the age limit from 30 to 36 months of age for BSE testing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14506/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The requirement that all bovine animals over 30 months of age, slaughtered for human consumption, must be tested for BSE is provided for in Regulation (EC) No. 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council, laying down rules for the prevention, control and eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (The TSE Regulation). Accordingly I do not have the discretion to raise this age threshold, as I would wish to do in view of the major progress achieved here in relation to BSE.

I have made repeated efforts to have the age thresholds for the various categories of animals changed, based on the results of surveillance carried out here and the continuing decline in the incidence of the disease, which is continuing into 2007. Under the recently amended TSE Regulation there is provision for Member States to seek revisions to their monitoring programmes (including changes to the age at which healthy slaughtered animals for human consumption must be tested for BSE) in response to their improved BSE situation. However, before Member States can apply for revised BSE surveillance arrangements, eligibility criteria as well as the baseline requirements for any revised monitoring programmes, must be agreed at EU level.

This matter is currently under discussion at Working Group level in Brussels. I have very recently written and spoken to the Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection asking him to expedite finalisation of the criteria and processes to enable Member States to introduce higher age limits for testing healthy slaughtered animals. He has assured me that the Commission is giving this matter a high level of priority and, once the discussions have been concluded at working group level, the Commission will present a proposal for adoption of these criteria to the Standing Committee on Animal Health and the Food Chain. As soon as the eligibility criteria are adopted and published Member States will then be able to apply to the Commission for approval for changes to their surveillance programmes and I intend that Ireland will be among the very first Member States to apply for such approval.