Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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920. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the speculation on the amount of lambs that are being brought here illegally and allegedly killed in factories (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46192/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The intra EU movement of animals is recorded on the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES), which is the EU-wide online management tool for all sanitary requirements on intra-EU trade and importation of animals, semen and embryo, food, feed and plants. Movements are recorded at the level of Member State only on TRACES.

According to TRACES 388,671 sheep have been imported into the State from other EU member states up to 1^stNovember this year, of which 388,517 were from the United Kingdom. The vast majority of these would have been imported directly from Northern Ireland.

In addition to the recording of movements of animals the importation of bovine livestock between Ireland and other EU jurisdictions, is governed by EU Council Directive 91/68 EC on animal health conditions. 

My Department and its officials take very seriously, from both a traceability and food safety perspective the movement of livestock, including sheep, into the state. If the Deputy has any specific examples of the illegal movement of lambs into the state, he should bring these examples to the attention of my Department and An Garda Síochána.