Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 428: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will support a matter (details supplied). [37983/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I outlined the purpose and acceptance of AHCS 1 forms in my replies to the Deputy on 24 September 2008 (Ref No. 30581/08) and on 7 October 2008 (Ref No. 33381/08). A detailed breakdown of the very precise and detailed information requested by the Deputy is not readily available and it would place excessive demands on scarce staff resources in the Department to compile this data.

The AHCS 1 form was introduced by my Department because it was acknowledged that incomplete test reports or reports containing errors could be submitted by testing practitioners, particularly when a new electronic data transfer system was being introduced. As I explained in my reply dated 7 October 2008, AHCS 1 forms are used to clarify or amend a range of data relating to a test, only one of which is the submission of test result data in respect of animals not previously submitted. A manual system was chosen to ensure that the process for requesting correction or amendment of a submitted test would be a very visible process. In general, most errors are identified close to the time that they happen; however, occasionally they are not identified until some time later. While there are a number of genuine reasons why private veterinary practitioners wish to add animals to the test report after the report has been submitted, my Department uses such requests by veterinary practitioners to amend test details as a quality control parameter in the context of assessing the totality of the performance of testing veterinary practitioners.

The acceptance of submitted corrections on the AHCS 1 forms is at the discretion of the Superintending Veterinary Inspector (SVI) in my Department's local District Veterinary Office (DVO). I can confirm that no disciplinary procedure or referral of cases to the Veterinary Council of Ireland has taken place specifically relating to the use of AHCS 1s, as such outcomes would only result from the identification of evidence pointing to the misuse or abuse of the AHCS1 forms.

With regard to the query as to whether 'supervisory' veterinary inspectors were former large animal practitioners, this information is not readily available. However, as the vast majority of veterinary staff within my Department are Irish graduates and would have had experience in veterinary practice in Ireland, most of these would have experience in large animal practice prior to joining the Department. Such experience is seen to be a positive and desirable competence in the staff engaged in this task.

Regarding question 15 posed by the Deputy, I assume that, in referring to 'suspect AHCS 1 forms', the Deputy is referring to those forms which the DVO does not act on and/or requires further information or action on the part of the veterinary practitioner and/or the farmer. I can confirm that, contrary to the presumption in the query, it is not the practice to return these forms to the practitioner. I am particularly concerned about the inference that these forms are returned to the veterinary practitioner in order to get rid of evidence of false certification, which implies some collusion on the part of staff of my Department in some suggested illegal activity. I strongly reject any such assertion which is put forward without any supporting information or evidence. As stated in my reply dated 24 September last, if the Deputy has any evidence of illegal practices in relation to the carrying out of TB tests, he should provide this information to my Department immediately and I assure him that the matter will be fully investigated.

Given that the Deputy has raised issues regarding the use of AHCS 1 forms on a number of occasions recently, I can readily arrange for officials from my Department to be available to meet with the Deputy and brief him on their background and purpose.