Three new cases of BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) were disclosed this week in the national herd, the Department of Agriculture and Food announced yesterday.
This brings to 110 the number of cases identified this year, compared to 200 confirmed by this time last year.
The animals were found in two dairy herds in Co Offaly and one dairy herd in Co Limerick. Two of the animals were eight years old and the third was 11 years.
A Department statement said the increasing age profile of animals with the disease indicated that the enhanced controls introduced in 1996 and early 1997 were proving effective.
The statement said 1.66 million tests for BSE had been carried out since the introduction of mandatory testing of all animals aged over 30 months in meat plants and of all casualty animals.
The British Food Safety Agency has recommended that similar testing be carried out there to allow beef from animals aged over 30 months which have tested negatively for the disease into the food chain.
Meanwhile, there has been good news for Irish beef exporters with the announcement by the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mr Walsh, that Bahrain has lifted its restrictions on the import of Irish beef which had been in place since January 2001.
The Minister said he was pleased that the Bahraini authorities, having assessed the many levels of controls and assurances on beef production in place here, had taken this step, which represents a significant vote of confidence in the product.
He said the reopening of the Bahrain market came as a result of intensive efforts by his Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and An Bord Bia over the past two years.
These efforts culminated in a seminar on food safety in the beef sector held in Dublin last October.
This was attended by delegates from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE and, in the case of Bahrain, involved a visit to Ireland by the Bahraini Minister for Health.
While Bahrain is not a large-volume market, it is nevertheless a significant development for Irish beef exports in the Gulf region.
The Minister expressed the hope that, with Bahrain having taken the first step, other States in the Gulf region would follow suit.