Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 187: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider removing the locked up status from the herd of a person (details supplied) in County Cork where the animal in question was declared clear of tuberculosis following slaughter. [23877/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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A reactor animal was disclosed in the herd of the person concerned on 3 May 2008 following a TB skin test. The herd was restricted from that date and the official TB status of the herd remains withdrawn until all animals over six weeks of age have reacted negatively to at least two consecutive tuberculin tests, carried out at 60 day intervals, the first no less than 60 days after the removal of the last positive reactor and the second no less than four months after the removal of the last positive reactor.

With regard to the suggestion that a lump in the animal's neck resulted from an injury, the veterinary practitioner who performed the test did not report anything unusual to my Department. Any suggestion that the lump appearing, following the TB skin test, was not a response to the tuberculin would have been addressed at the time. I am advised also that it would be highly unusual for an injury, such as that described, to cause a reaction in the animal's neck precisely in the area of the bovine tuberculin injection and that such an injury could be mistaken by a qualified and experienced veterinary practitioner as a normal tuberculin response.

With regard to the suggestion that the animal concerned cleared all tests at the factory, I am advised that no such declaration of clearance occurs at the factory because the check at the point of slaughter is in fact a routine fitness for human consumption examination conducted in slaughter plants under Regulation 854/2004/EC and is not, and is not designed to be, an absolute bovine TB diagnostic instrument. The TB skin test is considered to be a highly accurate test, is the approved test for the detection of TB and my Department's veterinary service is satisfied that, on the basis of the test carried out, the animal in question is correctly treated as a reactor.

I understand also that the person concerned has queried my Department as to why the process followed for certain cases of singleton reactors which provides for de-restriction after a full herd test at 42 days provided such cases meet certain criteria was not applied in this instance. The position is that on the basis of an assessment by my Department's veterinary service, the herd in question did not fulfil the qualifying criteria necessary to be eligible for that process.

On the basis of the foregoing, I am satisfied that the action taken in this case is appropriate.