Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 129: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she is satisfied that all appropriate procedures are in place to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease to Ireland, in view of the number of outbreaks reported in Britain over the past two months, which are continuing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21788/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department and I have been particularly proactive in taking measures designed to minimise the risk of the introduction to Ireland Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and I am satisfied that they are appropriate given the current level of risk of an outbreak of the disease in this country.

Immediately following confirmation of the first case of FMD in Surrey on 3 August, I introduced a ban on the importation to Ireland from Britain of live susceptible animals, fresh meat, raw milk and other products from such animals. I also instructed the immediate installation of disinfection points at Irish ports and airports. My Department also published information leaflets for people travelling from Britain and published information and advice notices in the national newspapers as well as providing advice to the organisers of agricultural shows. Furthermore, my Department updated the dedicated FMD website — www.footandmouth.ie — which contains a significant amount of useful information and advice and which continues to be updated as appropriate.

My Department has also engaged with various stakeholders to ensure that there is maximum awareness of the disease, its clinical signs and the nature of the control measures in place. We have constantly emphasised the need for ongoing vigilance, particularly among farmers and veterinary practitioners and of the need to ensure that any suspicions of disease are advised to my Department immediately.

Within days of the introduction of my ban on imports from Britain, the European Commission introduced a ban on the export from Britain of susceptible live animals and products, including those included in my earlier ban. The Commission Decision was strictly enforced by my Department and a subsequent Commission Decision, introduced in the immediate aftermath of the first case in the second cluster of cases on 12 September, is currently being enforced by my Department.

In the short period during which live exports from Britain were permitted, there were three consignments of live animals imported from Britain and all have been traced and clinically examined and found not to have any signs of disease.

The continuing confirmation of cases is clearly a matter of concern and one which I am continuing to monitor very closely. Notwithstanding this second cluster of cases, the outbreak remains confined to Surrey and despite scores of suspect cases having been reported and investigated and a number of Temporary Control Zones set-up while samples were being analysed, no cases have been confirmed outside of the county. My officials and I are continuing to keep in close contact with Ministerial and official contacts in London and Belfast and we are working particularly closely with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) in Northern Ireland to ensure that the disease is kept off the island of Ireland.

In determining the adequacy of our control measures, I am satisfied that the measures currently in place are proportionate to the current risk and should that risk be reassessed I won't hesitate to revise our control measures should that approach be warranted.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she has made representations to the British authorities on the outbreak of foot and mouth being traced to the facility at Pirbright laboratories in view of the potential implications for agriculture here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21805/07]

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 134: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if it is intended to continue the use of a laboratory (details supplied) for analysis of possible foot and mouth samples here in view the serious security breaches there which have been linked to recent foot and mouth outbreaks in Britain; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21804/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 134 together.

Following the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Surrey on 3 August, the UK Government commissioned two reviews — one by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the other by Professor Brian Spratt, Imperial College, London — to look at the biosecurity arrangements at the Pirbright site at which the Institute for Animal Health and the Merial Animal Health Limited laboratory facilities are located.

The two reviews and the UK Government's response to them were published on 7 September. The reports concluded that the most likely cause of the outbreak was the escape of live virus from Pirbright, though the precise means by which the escape of the virus occurred was not fully established.

Both reports contain a number of recommendations, including a review of the full range of biosecurity measures and procedures at the Pirbright site, as well as recommendations relating to the role of the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). These recommendations illustrate clear weaknesses in and breaches of biosecurity at Pirbright and I share the UK Government's stated view that the events at Pirbright were clearly a matter of significant concern.

In that regard, I welcome the UK Government's acceptance of all the recommendations made in the two reports and I note also the Government's claim that they 'have decided to go beyond these recommendations.' I note too that a programme of remedial work is to be undertaken at Pirbright and I look forward to the Government's reports to the British Parliament on the progress of this work.

I have had the opportunity to discuss the outbreak and its consequences with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as well as the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland and I certainly have confidence in the UK Government's commitment to ensure that all of the recommendations set out in the HSE and the Spratt reports are fully implemented.

The Institute for Animal Health (IAH) is the designated European Reference Laboratory for FMD and as such samples are required to be sent there for official confirmation of FMD, even though my own Department's laboratory service has the capability to detect a case of the disease. Notwithstanding my concerns about the events at Pirbright, I have no reason to question the diagnostic competence of the IAH and have, therefore, no reservations about sending samples there for confirmation or otherwise of FMD as the EU continues to recognise it as the official confirmatory laboratory for FMD.