Written answers

Tuesday, 29 September 2020

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Herd Data

Photo of Pearse DohertyPearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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1017. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the safeguards in place to ensure that only Departmental officials have access to the national herd database and that the information is not shared with unauthorised persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26907/20]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Animal Identification and Movement System (AIM) is a generic database that records and maintains the identification and movement data in respect of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses in accordance with the requirements of EU and national law.  

Regarding the national bovine herd, AIM consists of a comprehensive web-based database of the origin, identity, movements and life history of all cattle born in or imported into the country.  AIM receives movement information from livestock marts, live export points and slaughter plants ensuring the prompt recording of all movements of cattle to and from these premises.   The origin, identity, movements and life history of animal(s) consigned to marts, slaughter plants and live export assembly centres are checked against the database before it is permitted to be consigned for movement to another holding, to enter the food chain or export.  The arrangements for movement of cattle direct from one holding to another holding require the source herd (seller) to seek pre-clearance for the proposed move from AIM either online or through a paper application.

My Department is committed to keeping all personal data safe and secure.  Access to AIM is subject to strict security under which each user completes the relevant form for the type of access required.  Each user is allocated a unique user ID by the Department’s Single Sign On System.  Each user has its own user profile that governs the degree of access to the system and the actions they can carry out on the system within their area of responsibility.  

Herd keepers that have signed up to register their animals electronically have access on AIM to details on animals that currently reside on their holdings.  Slaughter plants, livestock marts and export assembly centres only have AIM access to data relating to the animals presented in their particular outlets including export eligibility.  These outlets do not have access to data in respect of other animals on the holding of the presenting keeper.

The age profile of cattle slaughtered in the national herd is made available in the annual AIM Bovine Statistics Report (Section 2) which is published on the Department's website.

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