Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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512. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the action being undertaken to protect pig farming from the growing threat of emerging disease problems such as ASF and PED; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34686/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Earlier this year, African Swine Fever (ASF) was detected in wild boar in Lithuania and Poland, and since then the disease has spread to pigs in Lithuania, Poland, Latvia and Estonia. ASF has never occurred in Ireland. Arising from these outbreaks the European Commission brought forward a number of regulations with a view to contain the spread of ASF.

My Department has advised pig farmers, by the way of press release to the main farming papers, that they should be particularly aware of the risks posed by visitors or staff returning from ASF affected areas, and ensure that strict hygiene precautions are taken. Critically, they have been advised that food waste must not be fed to pigs and should be disposed of safely.

A new strain of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea Virus (PEDv) has caused substantial losses in the pig sector in North America this year. The European Commission have implemented legalisation to deal with PEDv and minimise the spread of the diseases. Safeguard measures on the import of live pigs and on feed ingredients manufactured from pig blood imported from the USA and Canada, agreed at European Community level, has reduced the risk of PEDv to the Irish pig farming sector.

My officials have remained in close contact with the IFA Pigs Committee on the issue.

ASF and PEDv are both notifable diseases and there is a legal requirement to notify my Department on suspected outbreaks of the diseases.

In conclusion, my Department will continue to work in close collaboration with the EU Commission, and the Irish pig producers to prevent the importation of these diseases into Ireland. The matter has also been discussed with officials from DARD in recent times.