Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

224. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has carried out a full investigation following the instances of swan mortalities at Castle Lake Forest, Bailieborough, County Cavan in August 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50573/22]

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

The Department carries out year-round avian influenza (AI) surveillance sampling to inform its risk assessment of the threat posed to poultry and captive birds. While my Department is responsible for the protection of the health of Irish poultry, wildlife comes under the remit of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

The Department works very closely with NPWS to ensure effective implementation of the AI surveillance programme, including the submission of dead wild birds for sampling and testing in our laboratory service. The goal of this testing is to confirm or negate the presence of Highly Pathogenic AI (HPAI). HPAI positive results in wild birds that are sampled following notification from NPWS are communicated between the two departments at a local level and the HPSC/HSE follow up as necessary in relation to any human contacts. Although the strain of avian influenza currently in circulation in wild birds in Ireland (HPAI H5N1) is considered by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC)/HSE to be of low risk to humans, current advice from the HPSC/HSE and DAFM to the public is from a general health perspective is not to approach or handle sick or dead wild birds at this time. Dogs should be kept on a lead and not allowed to approach sick, injured or dead birds.

In locations where HPAI has been confirmed further sampling may not be required from that location. For example, a large number of dead wild birds from coastal areas have been confirmed HPAI positive recently by my Department. As such further sampling from coastal areas is not required at this time. However, wild bird sampling continues in inland counties, including Co. Cavan.

It is not within my Department’s scope nor available resources to conduct full post-mortem examinations to investigate the ultimate cause of death of all dead wild birds submitted through the AI Surveillance Programme.