THE Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, has announced that he is to conduct a review of the incidence of BSE in the Irish cattle herd as four new cases of the disease have been confirmed.
The four cases bring the number so far this year to 32, greatly exceeding the yearly totals for any year since the disease was first identified here in 1989.
The announcement of the new cases came as the Minister was briefing the Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs in Dublin yesterday.
At the start of the hearing, the Minister said that there had been 36 cases so far this year, an increase of 20 on last year's total. Later in the session, the Minister apologised to the committee for giving the figure of 36 cases for this year, saying that the correct figure was 32.
Members of the committee questioned Mr Yates about the increased number of BSE infected animals. A number of them asked him if there was any evidence that infected animals were being brought across the Border so that farmers, could claim generous compensation.
The Minister said that he had been assured that the Border was completely sealed and that no animals were coming South. He pointed out that the Border security operation was costing £400,000 a week.
"There is no striking reason for the increase in numbers. The cases are from the Border to Munster in large and small herds," Mr Yates said. "But I am looking at the regulations governing depopulation. I would hate to see a situation arise where having a BSE case is like getting six lottery numbers.
The Minister, whose Department pays full market compensation for all animals slaughtered and has already paid out over £14 million to farmers in compensation payments, said that what was needed was "fair, not profitable, compensation".
Mr Yates said that from next week he would be making compulsory the voluntary slaughter policy already in place. He would also be asking his veterinary inspectors to carry out an epidemiologic survey of the new cases and undertake a review of feeding methods to ensure that bone meal, which can be fed to pigs and poultry, is not fed to cattle.
The new cases of BSE, which bring the total to 147 since 1988, have been identified in Cavan, Cork, Tipperary and Waterford. Two of the animals are five years old. One of these is in a 93 strong dairy herd in Co Cavan and the other in an 80 cow suckler herd in Tipperary. The Co Cork case was in a 53 strong suckler herd and was seven years old. The oldest infected animal, an eight year old, was found in an 88 strong dairy herd in Waterford.
Speaking about the future of the beef industry generally, the Minister said that, while it was not on the verge of any kind of collapse, it would have to face radical restructuring. He emphasised that EU beef farmers were still receiving more for their product than farmers elsewhere in the world.
The BSE crisis, he said, had shown up the shortfalls in the industry, which had not developed at the same pace in Ireland as had the dairy and tillage sectors. New systems of farming might be needed to cope with falling beef consumption.
He said that farmers would have to produce lighter animals more efficiently and fatten them on grass rather than other foods. This would have to be backed up by a marketing system and a scheme whereby cuts of meat could be traced back to farms of origin.
The Minister also confirmed that he had written to the Director of Consumer Affairs, Mr William Fagan, regarding the price consumers are paying for beef against the background of falling producer prices.