Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 380: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has made a decision regarding the use of meat and bonemeal in pig and poultry rations in view of the major reduction in BSE cases in the country, the fact that international advice makes it clear that such use is 100% safe and the fact that this would reduce the cost of animal feed for the pig and the poultry sector and save enormous cost to the Exchequer is disposing of meat and bonemeal elsewhere; his views on whether farmers here are disadvantaged by the fact that their competitors in the USA and elsewhere are incorporating genetically modified ingredients in there animal feed diets (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25516/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is aware of trade interest in using poultry derived meat and bone meal in pig rations and vice versa. At present, EU regulations prohibit the feeding of meat and bone meal to farm animals. Discussions are taking place at EU level on a partial relaxation of this ban. The question of using bovine meat and bone meal to feed either pigs or poultry is not under review at this stage. There are concerns that a relaxation of the ban on feeding of meat and bone meal to pigs or poultry might undermine the ban on feeding this material to cattle. This could create problems for Ireland's valuable beef industry. The Commission has indicated that the ban on feeding poultry derived meat and bone meal to pigs and vice versa could be relaxed if satisfactory tests that can distinguish pig and poultry bone meal from ruminant bone meal become available. No final decision has yet been reached on this matter.

Imports of genetically modified maize and soya form a significant proportion of the feed materials used in Ireland for livestock feed. In excess of 95% of both the maize by-products and the soya imported into Ireland is genetically modified. Farmers have, however, experienced some disruption in trade in maize by-products for ruminant diets over the last twelve months, caused by a lack of synchronisation in the GM crop authorisation process used in the exporting countries and the EU. This issue is under active review both within my Department and at EU level.