NEWS

New Bill welcomed by MLAs
By Steven Moore

The Diseases of Animals Bill came before the Assembly on Tuesday.
The legislation, which has been broadly welcomed, will give the Department of Agriculture greater powers to ensure that landowners apply best practice when they or neighbours have to deal with an outbreak of disease.
Minister Michelle Gildernew said she and the Stormont Agriculture Committee had worked closely in a bid to reach an accommodation on a number of controversial elements of the Bill.
The committee would play a major role in drawing up a code of conduct to be followed by inspectors and officials should they have to enter farmland, she said.
She told the House: "I believe that the proposed amendments will result in animal health legislation that is proportionate and effective.
"I also believe that the proposed measures have the potential to help us to address those diseases that are serious threats to the industry.
"I am thinking particularly of brucellosis, and also, of course, of foot-and-mouth disease and emerging diseases such as bluetongue and avian influenza.
"We need to have policies and measures in place to deal quickly and decisively with animal and poultry diseases so that our agrifood industry can compete in an increasingly competitive and changing marketplace."

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November 20th 2009
November 13th 2009