Specialist unit credited with success in reducing cattle diseases

THE significant progress made in reducing the incidence of various diseases such as BSE and brucellosis in recent years can be partly attributed to the action taken by the Special Investigation Unit of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, according to Minister Brendan Smith.

He was replying to Labour party spokesperson on agriculture and food, Sean Sherlock TD, who asked him what was the unit’s annual budget, the number of staff working in the unit, and the number of prosecutions made in 2007.

Mr Smith said the unit was established in the 1980s to deal with serious problems relating to use of illegal substances such as hormones, and angel dust in animal production.