Volume 9: Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Part 3: Northern Ireland
14. Departmental responsibilities
Relationship with the Republic of Ireland

14.42 An important factor influencing Northern Ireland's approach to animal health issues in general, and BSE in particular, was the fact that it shared a land border with the Republic of Ireland. ¹ Both countries were heavily dependent on agricultural exports and were not as industrially developed in other respects as Great Britain. ² Like Northern Ireland, beef production in the Republic was grass-based, with cattle grazing pasture for most of the year and winter feed consisting mainly of silage and/or hay.

14.43 In the international arena, the island of Ireland was often treated as a single unit as far as animal health matters were concerned (for instance, in measures to deal with foot and mouth disease and swine vesicular disease). ³ Even so, animal health conditions were not always the same in the two countries - notable examples being outbreaks of warble fly and tuberculosis. ⁴

14.44 The first case of BSE in the Republic was confirmed on 25 January 1989, within a few months of the first case in Northern Ireland. Between 1989 and 1996 a total of 188 cases were diagnosed. Unlike in Northern Ireland, the incidence of the disease did not reach its peak before 1996 and has not peaked to date. A major difference in the Republic's approach to BSE control measures was its policy of slaughtering the entire herd once BSE had been confirmed in an animal in that herd. Progeny of, and all the calves born in the same season in the same herd as, the affected animal were also traced and destroyed. A ruminant feed ban was introduced in July 1990, and a ban on SBO for human consumption in April 1996.

14.45 DANI maintained a close working relationship with the Department of Agriculture in Dublin, particularly when the BSE issue arose. ⁵ Before 1987, apart from in certain areas which were governed by EU legislation, there were no formal discussions between the two Departments, but there were extremely close informal working arrangements, mostly between officials. ⁶ In 1987, for the first time, formal structures were introduced in the form of the Intergovernmental Conference, ⁷ but according to Mr Toal, Assistant Secretary (Grade 5) in the Animal Health Division, animal health discussions with Dublin continued to operate informally. He could recall only one occasion on which there was an agricultural issue on the agenda for the meeting of the Intergovernmental Conference. ⁸