Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 38: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if her Department has applied to the EU under revised EU legislation to have the age limit for compulsory BSE testing raised from its current level of 30 months. [30038/07]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food her plans to move the age threshold for BSE testing from 30 to 36 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29907/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 42 together.

I have constantly pressed and continue to press for an increase in the age-limit for the testing of healthy slaughtered animals for human consumption. The existing requirement that all bovines over 30 months of age, slaughtered for human consumption, must be tested along with all casualty animals over 24 months and all fallen stock over 24 months is provided for under Regulation (EC) 999/2001.

In recent months, the European Commission has proposed changes to the existing testing regime, the most recent of which were proposed at a meeting of Chief Veterinary Officers in early October and these were since discussed at a meeting of the TSE Working Group in Brussels earlier this month. I believe that the proposals now tabled by the Commission represent a vindication of my efforts over the past three years and I look forward with optimism to a successful conclusion to the current discussions.

The current options under discussion are, in respect of healthy slaughtered animals: to test all cattle aged over 42 months; to test all cattle born before 1 January 2002 and 50% of those born since and aged over 42 months; and to test all animals born before 1 January 2004 and none [or a minimum sample size] of those born since.

Ireland is among a number of countries that have expressed support for the third option. While any of the options will result in a very significant decline in the amount of testing of healthy slaughtered animals, the third option will result in far fewer tests over time and provides a definite end-date by which time testing will no longer be required.

Consideration of the various options is continuing at various levels in Brussels and it is too early to say when agreement may be reached on a particular option and when, therefore, a change may be made to the existing testing regime in Ireland.

I am confident that Ireland's performance in recent years in significantly reducing the incidence of BSE will ensure that we will be able to meet whatever criteria are determined to allow Member States to avail of the revised surveillance requirements. Both my officials and I will continue to press for an early resolution of these discussions with a view to having the Irish surveillance programme revised as quickly as possible and in a way that significantly reduces the burden of testing with a view to its ultimate elimination for animals slaughtered for human consumption.