Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-03-15-Speech-3-191"
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"en.20000315.6.3-191"2
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"The Irish interest in this particular amending directive centres around a request by our country to permit pre-export TB testing to take place at assembly centres, rather than only at holdings of origin as the practice now is in Ireland; I understand that we have about two years to discuss with the Commission any difficulties we may have in relation to this and I am pleased to see the Commissioner here today.
Under EU trading rules and in the interest of food safety and consumer confidence in animal health status, annual testing is required to maintain the official TB-free status of our cattle herds. With a cattle population in Ireland of between 7 and 8 million in recent years, some 10.5 million TB tests have been undertaken annually in some 138 000 herds. Since 1954, when our TB scheme was introduced, we have spent in Ireland – a small country – EUR 2.54 billion on TB testing and subsequently brucellosis testing. I think that stands as a testament to our determination to protect the health status of our cattle herds in Ireland.
Indeed, following disclosure of a reaction, a special contiguous testing programme for herds adjoining restricted herds is operated. Analysis of test data is carried out on an on-going basis by a special TB investigation unit. Routine post-mortem examinations are carried out by veterinary surgeons employed by the Department on all animals slaughtered. Animals which react positively to the TB test are slaughtered. From the earliest stages in the bovine TB eradication scheme, the Department of Agriculture has recognised the benefit of pre-movement testing, and we request that our particular amendment to the amending directive be looked on favourably.
The point I would like to ask the Commissioner to consider particularly is the fact that the only test provided for in the EU and under Irish legislation is the single intradermal comparative test as specified in Directive 64/432 of the EC. I understand considerable work has been done on laboratory-based blood tests for TB. The gamma-interferon test is the most promising of these, and is used under practical field conditions as an adjunct to the tuberculin test in herds. I would like the Commissioner to indicate where that now stands and how quickly we will be able to have a blood test accepted by the EU. The TB test we use now is herd-specific, not animal-specific. We need to get to the stage where blood tests for individual animals will stand up."@en1
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