To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has about the incidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the Republic of Ireland; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of monitoring and control procedures of Irish beef imports into the United Kingdom.

There have been 26 confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the Republic of Ireland out of a total cattle population of over 7 million. The scientific veterinary committee of the European Community considered the question of trade from countries that have a low incidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and concluded that no further measures are necessary in addition to the current animal and public health rules.