Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine If he will consider increasing the age limit from 18 to 24 months in respect of heifers requiring a brucellosis pre-movement test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52021/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland is officially free of Brucellosis since 2009 (our last case was in 2006). My Department has scaled down the brucellosis testing programme since then, as follows: the age threshold for annual round testing has been increased from 12 to 24 months; only 20% of dairy herds and 50% of non-dairy herds are required to be tested this year for the round test; the validity period of the pre-movement test has been increased from 30 days to 60 days; the age-limit for the pre-movement test for female animals has been increased from 12 to 18 months and, in view of the lower risk attached to their movement, to 24 months for bulls.

All of the above changes have reduced the number of animals to be tested from 4.7m in 2008 to 1.8m this year, with significant benefits to farmers in terms of reduced testing costs, estimated at approximately €10m per annum. I will be taking a decision shortly about the testing arrangements for 2013 and the age limit for the pre-movement test will be considered in this context. However, I will continue to adopt a cautious approach in view of the fact that Brucellosis is still present in Northern Ireland.