Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

563. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on issues raised on data released by his Department (details supplied); and the reason figures are rounded to the nearest thousand in the animal identification system for animal movements for cattle. [29886/19]

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

As part of the TB eradication programme, beef finishing herds, if they meet the necessary criteria, are allowed to avail of a special status, termed “Controlled Finishing Unit”. When a herd meets the criteria to be regarded as a ‘Controlled Finishing Unit’ under the TB Eradication Programme, the herd is restricted under the TB Regulations and a special official supervisory and testing protocol is established. Such herds are not exempted from testing, reactor removal or disinfection requirements.

Restricted Controlled Finishing Units are TB tested at least once a year. This Controlled Finishing Unit status arrangement allows the delivery of an effective level of disease risk management while controlling the risk of further disease spread in compliance with animal health legislation, and enabling business continuity in this particular type of enterprise through the inward movement of cattle.

Cattle from Controlled Finishing Unit herds restricted under the TB Eradication programme are only permitted to move to a EU approved slaughter plant. The precise numbers of movement from these Units to slaughtering plants is available on my Department's website. The current table was published rounded to the nearest 1,000 for the purpose of clarity of presentation.