Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 358: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the legal standing of her Department's approved test for bovine tuberculosis; if there is a confirmatory test that has legal standing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21504/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The principal test used in the TB programme is the Single Intradermal Comparative Test (skin test) as specified in Council Directive 64/432 EEC. There is no confirmatory test and thus no provision in legislation for such a test. Indeed, Article 17 of the Bovine Tuberculosis (Attestation of the State and General Provisions) Order 1989, (S.I. No. 308 of 1989), as amended, provides that, where an animal has given a positive result to a test, it shall not be tested again with tuberculin. While Directive 64/432/EEC provides that Member States may also authorize the use of other approved tests such as the gamma-interferon assay as a supplementary test in infected herds for the purposes of identifying and removing additional infected animals, any animal which reacts positively to the skin test is deemed to be a reactor.