Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 572: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the age limit for mandatory testing of animals for BSE is being changed; the details of changes being introduced; the number of staff employed on the BSE monitoring programme; the resources allocated; the way this compares to the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39358/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I am confident that the necessary EU approvals to apply the proposed increase in the minimum age for BSE testing will be received in time to enable us apply this from early in 2009. In general, Department staff undertake BSE monitoring as part of their day to day work and in association with other duties assigned to them. The financial resources required for the BSE programme in 2009 remains to be finalised. The Deputy will be aware that the costs associated with BSE testing of cattle being slaughtered for human consumption at meat plants is, for the most part, borne by the industry. Consequently, most of the savings arising from the reduced level of testing at these locations should accrue to farmers.

Gross expenditure incurred by my Department in connection with BSE testing costs and the transport of certain samples to laboratories was €16.6m in 2004, €11.3m in 2005, €11.3m in 2006, €10.5m in 2007, and €7.8m to date in 2008.