Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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1007. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if steps are being taken by his Department following the outbreak of a deadly strain of neurological equine herpes on mainland Europe (details supplied). [12664/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is proactively monitoring the on-going outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in horses in continental Europe. My officials met with representatives of Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) and the Irish Equine Centre (IEC) to develop an appropriate risk mitigating response. HSI, in consultation with my Department and the IEC have published a protocol for sport horses arriving in Ireland from high risk areas of Europe outlining the measures that horse owners should take to mitigate the risk of spread. I strongly endorse the recommendations in this EHV-1 protocol that requires all those competing horses, on returning to Ireland, to isolate and carry out two PCR tests prior to completing quarantine. This is critical to the protection of our sector.

Whilst Equine Herpesvirus-1 is not a notifiable disease, given the extent that the virus seems to have spread across Europe and the description of the clinical outcome, I would urge all players in the equine industry to respond to the increased risk that this poses to the equine population in Ireland and to double down on their biosecurity practices and measures.

My officials continue to liaise closely with industry stakeholders, the Irish Equine Centre and colleagues in Northern Ireland on this matter.