Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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1023. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will prioritise making equine herpes a notifiable disease in light of an outbreak of EHV-1 in Valencia, the most serious outbreak in Europe for decades and the imminent possibility of the virus arriving in the State with horses being transported from Spain; and if so, when. [13134/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is a herpes virus that is widely distributed across the world, including in Ireland. It usually manifests as a respiratory or reproductive disease and occasionally in a paralytic form. The primary risk mitigating measures are biosecurity and vaccination. Given its ubiquitous nature and the availability of a vaccine, EHV-1 is not a notifiable disease and I have no plans at this time to make it a notifiable disease.

Given the extent that the virus seems to have spread across Europe and the description of the clinical outcome, my Department is monitoring the situation closely. 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 protocol that requires all those competing horses, on returning to Ireland, to isolate and carry out two tests prior to completing quarantine. This is critical to the protection of our sector.

My officials continue to liaise closely with industry stakeholders and colleagues in Northern Ireland on this matter. 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.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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1024. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps his Department will take to prevent the equine herpes virus from entering Ireland (details supplied). [13142/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is monitoring the on-going outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus-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 protocol that requires all those competing horses, on returning to Ireland, to isolate and carry out two 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 and colleagues in Northern Ireland on this matter.