Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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355. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage loss rate of bovine viral diarrhoea tags for the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34083/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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All cattle must be tagged on the holding of origin within 20 days of birth with two official ear tags bearing the same number. One of the tags in the set must have a tissue sampling component for the Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) eradication programme, the other being a conventional flag tag.

With regard to the percentage loss rate for the BVD tissue tag, since the Department does not record which tag type requires replacement and the replacement issued is always a conventional tag, it is not possible to provide a loss rate for the tissue sampling tag separately. The average annual replacement rate for all official bovine tags over the entire population for the past 3 calendar years is 4.6%.

In cases where individual keepers are experiencing problems with tissue tags, the approved tag supplier engages directly with the individual to assess the cause of the problem and work towards a resolution.