Concern at the way Irish cattle carcasses, which may be contaminated with BSE, are being buried has been expressed by EU veterinary authorities, particularly in view of the infectious nature of the material.
Green MEP Ms Nuala Ahern yesterday called on the Minister for Health, Mr Cowen, to examine what was a "completely unacceptable" practice and to evaluate the risk from what is being buried on farms or landfilled. "This is of grave concern as BSE-contaminated material can get into the water table."
The report of an EU veterinary mission found "systemic burial" of BSE carcasses and noted with concern the extent of monitoring of such burial sites.
The Department of Agriculture, however, said only "individual BSE suspect animals" from which the heads (containing brain tissue) had been removed were buried. All burials were on farms of origin, not in landfills, a spokesman said. Burials were licensed under strict conditions.
The EU Scientific Steering Committee warned recently that little or no information was available on the behaviour (including potential accumulation over a number of years) of BSE-infected material in soils or water.
The Department said burial pits were designed to accelerate decomposition. Where a BSE suspect was confirmed positive, remaining animals in the herd were slaughtered at a designated plant, rendered, and destroyed. None of this material was buried or landfilled.
