Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 822: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the total public spend in response to the threat of foot and mouth disease each year for the past ten years. [15266/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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There is no specific provision made in the Vote of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in respect of the threat of foot and mouth disease or indeed the threat of any other diseases falling within the remit of the Department. While the Department operates comprehensive and active controls to prevent the introduction and spread of a range of diseases, funding for these are provided for across a range of programmed expenditure in the Vote.

The last outbreak of FMD in Ireland occurred in the early part of 2001, when both the Department of Agriculture and many other Government Departments and agencies were actively involved in the measures required to eradicate FMD and to prevent further cases of the disease. These controls led to the introduction by the Irish Government of a range of measures that had consequences for economic activity. Following the single outbreak, the Department commissioned a report from the economic consultants, Indecon, which was published in February, 2002. According to the report overall exchequer costs for the outbreak were estimated at €209.65 million.