Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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169. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a farmer cannot buy cattle when they are locked up with TB; if he will review the change in policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4490/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The restrictions on buying further animals into herds where the presence of TB has been confirmed derive from the EU legislation governing bovine TB eradication programmes. Article 17 of Council Directive 78/52 EEC requires that a herd in which bovine TB is confirmed is not restocked until after the cattle identified as reactors are slaughtered and all cattle, over six weeks old, remaining in the herd have passed one or more official tuberculosis tests. Once a herd passes such a test, it may be restocked under permit from the District Veterinary Office.

Given that this requirement derives from binding EU legislation, it is not open to my Department to depart from it.