Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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500. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of registered feedlots nationwide; the breakdown between farmer owned and factory owned feedlots; the number of livestock registered to feedlots; and the breakdown of the figure between farmer and factory owned. [52695/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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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 (CFU)” (formerly known as "feedlots").   Where a herd meets the criteria to be regarded as a CFU under the 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 CFUs are TB tested at least once a year. This CFU 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 CFU herds restricted under the TB Eradication programme are only permitted to move to an EU-approved slaughter plant. 

There are currently 477 bovine herds recorded with a CFU status with a total of 132,707 animals in these herds.  My Department does not differentiate CFU herds between farmer and factory owned.