Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

507. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a second cattle tag is on the verge of being approved for use here under his Department's tag approval process; the changes that have been made to this tag to allow it to pass on security grounds, considering that it failed to get his Department's approval on a number of occasions in the past after having been closely examined by his Department's experts; if the same security standards will apply in the current tag approval process as applied to the previous tenders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36161/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department introduced new arrangements earlier this year to move from the supply of bovine ear tags by a single supplier based on a competitive tender to an arrangement under which all tag suppliers who meet the standards and conditions set down by the Department in the Tag Approval document published last September will be approved to supply tags in Ireland. The new arrangements came into effect on 1 November 2016.

Unlike the previous arrangements, which involved the selection of a suite of ear tags submitted by a single supplier based on the “most economically advantageous tender”, the new approval arrangements provide for the approval all ear tags which meet the standards set out in the Tag Approval document.  The fact that an applicant may have not been successful in a previous public procurement competition is not relevant in an approval process seeking multiple suppliers. 

As indicated my reply to PQ No. 31629/16, the standards required in respect of security for identification and traceability purposes are the same as heretofore. Applications for approval from tag suppliers are assessed against the requirements of EU regulations relating to bovine identification, as well as the necessary ancillary service requirements, such as secure premises, ability to interact with the Department's IT system, data security, etc.  The suitability of the tags is objectively assessed by independent experts and applications are evaluated by an Evaluation Committee.

The Department has received 3 applications to date under the approval process.  One applicant has been approved. The Department has decided to grant approval to a second applicant for the supply of official bovine identification tags to herd keepers, subject to completion of the IT system in a manner that meets the Department’s requirements.  The third application is currently being assessed by my Department.