Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 379: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, with regard to bluetongue disease and the havoc currently being wrought within agriculture by the disease, he will compensate farmers for losses incurred as a result of his failure to deal adequately with confirmed infected cattle in the west of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17985/08]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 380: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, with regard to inactivity regarding bluetongue exclusion zone which, as readily acknowledged by most veterinary experts in the field, is putting the national herd at risk, his attention has been drawn to the serious losses incurred due to reduced productivity in herds that have been infected with the virus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17986/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 379 and 380 together.

Ireland has been and continues to be bluetongue-free and the presence of the disease in a number of other Member States has had very little impact on Irish agriculture.

While a small number of imported animals that were tested on their arrival here were found to have been exposed to the virus in the past, they were found to be free of the virus and, as such, posed no threat to animal health, having developed a natural immunity to the virus. Consequently, the issue of compensation raised by the Deputy doesn't arise.

As there has been no outbreak of bluetongue in this country, the issue of establishing protection, surveillance and restricted zones does not arise.

My Department has carried out a number of assessments to seek to determine the risk of the possible introduction of the disease into the country and, based on the assessed level of risk, my predecessor has taken a number of initiatives to minimise that risk, including the introduction of a ban on the importation of female breeding and production cattle aged over 12 months and female sheep over 6 months, following confirmation that the presence of the virus had been detected in Northern Ireland.

That particular measure has now been revoked following the introduction of tighter movement controls of animals from bluetongue-restricted areas that were introduced earlier this week, which impose further restrictions on the animals that may now be imported to this country from bluetongue-restricted areas and their application in Ireland. These further measures are discretionary for Member States but their application in Ireland is in line with our commitment to maintain the country's disease-free status.

It will be my objective to ensure that we make every effort and take all such reasonable precautions as we can to ensure that Ireland remains disease-free.