Written answers

Wednesday, 3 December 2008

Department of Agriculture and Food

Animal Diseases

9:00 pm

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 85: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if consideration is being given to the cessation of the importation of susceptible animals from BTV infected areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43983/08]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied that adequate checks and safeguards are in place to ensure Bluetongue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43982/08]

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 114 together.

The movement of susceptible animals within and from bluetongue restricted areas is subject to EU legislation which is kept under ongoing review and adapted from time to time.

As Ireland is free of Bluetongue, it has availed of certain transitional provisions available under EU rules which limit movements of live susceptible animals out of bluetongue restricted zones to cattle and sheep that are less than 90 days old or that have natural or vaccinated immunity to relevant strains of bluetongue. In addition all such animals are tested for bluetongue after arrival here.

Notwithstanding the current safeguard arrangements that are in place with regard to trade, the recent cases of BTV1 in England and the ongoing confirmation of BTV6 and BTV8 in several member states mean that there are a number of strains of the bluetongue virus circulating in the EU. The existence of several strains of bluetongue increases the risks and raises serious concerns about the wisdom of importing any animals from affected regions at this time.

Consequently, I have consistently urged Irish farmers not to import animals from any bluetongue affected country or region so as not to jeopardise our disease free status with its consequences for our entire livestock sector. Any such imports will continue to be tested and if found to be BTV positive to a PCR test, they will be immediately slaughtered and there are no compensation arrangements in place in the case of such slaughter. Accordingly, importers should be aware of the possible financial risks that they are now exposed to in addition to the risk that imports pose to the national herd.

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