Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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129. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding animals with TB; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28707/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Where a holding is restricted as a result of TB reactors being identified, EU legislation requires that the re-test cannot be conducted until at least 60 days after the removal of the last positive reactor. In addition, the general requirement in EU legislation is that two clear tests must be completed before the holding can be de restricted, the second test taking place not earlier than 60 days after the first re-test.

My Department makes every effort to facilitate removal of reactors as quickly as possible following the completion of the valuation process. However, ultimately, the speed of removal is heavily influenced by a number of factors such as the numbers of factories accepting reactor animals at any given time, the overall supply/demand situation for cattle and the procedures surrounding on-farm market valuation process. Data for 2013 shows that, on average, bovine animals are removed for slaughter within 19 days of the date of the relevant test.