Written answers

Wednesday, 16 July 2025

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Health and Safety

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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194. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the context of his Department's annually recurring stark warnings to the general public with regard to Avian Flu and appropriate safety precautions and avoidance measures vis. a vis. seabirds, sick/dead birds and faecal waste and nest detritus of wild birds, and the necessary and thorough zonal biosecurity protocols promulgated by his Department, can he advise the Deputy whether any specific advice has been published and/or provided to employers with regard to the appropriate protection of workers who may encounter high volume concentrations of wild bird detritus in the course of their work, and who may have roles/duties that bring them into close contact with such detritus e.g. construction workers, janitors, cleaners, school and hospital caretakers et al, and personal protective equipment and decontamination procedures for ensuring that such workers who may have close familial connections e.g. with farming families, food production etc. do not inadvertently undermine or threaten the efficacy of essential biosecurity measures, and in preparing his reply to the deputy, will he confer with other Government colleagues if such is necessary towards a comprehensive reply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40108/25]

Photo of Martin HeydonMartin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Human health matters in regard to avian influenza are the responsibility of the Minister for Health and the Health Service Executive. The National Parks and Wildlife Service has primary responsibility with regard to issues relating to wild birds.

My Department's primary function in relation to Avian Influenza is to help protect and to control outbreaks of the disease in poultry and captive birds. This includes extensive engagement with the public and industry stakeholders in relation to awareness of the risk the disease poses and best practice in terms of biosecurity. My Department also engages in extensive year round surveillance in order to identify suspect cases early and act swiftly to mitigate the risk of an incursion.

My Department's advice is that people should not pick up or touch sick, dead or dying wild birds and should keep their pets away from them. Dogs should be kept on a lead in areas where sick or dead wild birds are present. Poultry keepers, whether they have large poultry farms or small backyard flocks, are advised to practice strict biosecurity to reduce the risk of their flocks becoming infected.

Where members of the public find sick, dead or dying birds, they can report it to my Department using the Avian Check Wild Bird Application or by calling the Avian Influenza hotline on: 01 607 2512 (during office hours). My Department does not collect all dead birds reported in this way, but rather carries out surveillance testing on a selection of such birds.

Further information on avian influenza, including how to access Avian Check, and what members of the public can do to help keep Ireland's poultry industry avian influenza free can be found on the Government website at: www.gov.ie/birdflu.

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