The Green Party has called for a reprieve for the 340-strong pedigree Teagasc herd in Co Cork after one of the herd was found to be infected with BSE. Under Department of Agriculture rules the entire herd is slaughtered once an animal is infected, and this is expected to cost taxpayers more than £250,000.
The herd at Moorepark, Fermoy, is one of the State's premier herds, and the Green Party's spokeswoman on agriculture, Ms Paula Giles, said the Government could use this outbreak to research, monitor and build up a database on BSE in Ireland.