Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 548: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider changing the rules regarding tuberculosis testing which currently obliges farmers who are selling animals direct to slaughtering facilities to retest cattle that are more than 12 months since their last TB test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37295/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Under the EU Directive 64/432/EEC, which sets down the rules for trade in live animals, the testing requirements for TB in the case of member states which have disease levels similar to Ireland are that in order for a herd to retain official TB free status, all animals on the holding, with the exception of calves under six weeks old which were born in the holding, are subjected to routine tuberculin testing at yearly intervals. The 12 month testing regime forms part of our TB eradication programme which is currently co-funded by the EU Commission. My Department is in consultation with the EU Commission on the possibility of allowing some cattle which have not been tested within the preceding 12 months to be sent direct to slaughter from herds that have been tested within the previous 12 months.