Stringent controls to ensure the safety of beef in response to Irish BSE cases are more than adequate and "go beyond those recommended by the relevant inter- national organisations", the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, told the Dail. In reply to Dail questions by Ms Liz McManus (WP, Wicklow) and Mr Pat Upton (Lab, Dublin South Central), he said BSE cases so far this year required the slaughter and destruction of 7,160 cattle.
Almost £8.7 million has been spent this year on BSE controls.
The remaining amount was spent on purchase of the cohorts and progeny of positive animals, compensation for animals which had proved to be negative for the disease and purchase of British imports.
At the end of October, 65 BSE cases had been confirmed in herds, which were destroyed, according to his department's depopulation strategy. During examination of brains, which takes place in the case of adult cattle from depopulated herds and other animals slaughtered under BSE policy, a further three brains out of 4,453 brains examined were found to be positive for BSE.