THE number of BSE cases in the national herd rose to 47 yesterday when three more cases, two in Co Wexford and one in Longford, were confirmed by the Department of Agriculture.
The number of cases discovered so far this year is now almost three times last year's total of 16. The total number of cases since 1989 stands at 162.
The fact that two BSE cases have been found in Co Wexford will reopen the debate about the Russian import ban on beef from counties Cork, Tipperary and Monaghan, which was based on the infection rate since January. The two Wexford cases involve four-year-old dairy cows which were born following the ban imposed on feeding meat and bonemeal. They push that county - the constituency of the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates into second place on the 1996 infection table.
While Co Cork heads the table with 11 new cases since January. Wexford with seven exceeds the banned counties of Monaghan (five cases) and Tipperary (four cases).
The Department of Agriculture recently blamed the continued feeding of meat and bonemeal to cattle after the 1990 ban as one of the reasons for the upsurge in the disease. Within the past few weeks strict regulations have been brought in to control the purchase and use of meat and bonemeal.
Ms Caroline Gill, chief executive of the Consumers Association of Ireland, is expected to be named today by the Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, as one of the new six-member Food Safety Board of Ireland (FSBI). Mr Fergus Hill, chairman of the present Food Safety Advisory Board, is also likely to be appointed to the body, which is being established on an interim basis, pending legislation.