There was one case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) disclosed last week, bringing the total number of cases for the year so far to 22.
The animal involved was found in a dairy herd in Limerick and was 10 years old, the Department of Agriculture and Food said this weekend.
The total number of cases in 2005 was 69. This compares with 126 cases for 2004. The total number of cases was 186 in 2003 and 333 cases in 2002.
Cases are identified using traditional and active surveillance.
Under the active surveillance programme, testing of a proportion of fallen stock and cattle destined for human consumption was initiated in July 2000.
This was extended in January 2001 to test all cattle aged over 30 months destined for human consumption and all casualty animals. Since July 2001 all fallen cattle are also tested. Over 3.52 million tests have been carried out up to the end of 2005 under the active surveillance programme (over 662,000 in 2001; over 688,000 in 2002; over 700,000 in 2003; over 701,000 during 2004 and over 701,000 in 2005).
The department said in its weekly bulletin that the underlying trend in BSE cases remains positive and the increasing age profile of animals confirmed with the disease indicates that controls introduced in 1996 and early 1997 are proving effective.
The effectiveness of Ireland's BSE controls was recognised by the EU's Scientific Steering Committee which indicated, in a report on Ireland's BSE risk published in May 2000, that controls in this country were stable from 1996 onwards, very stable from 1997 onwards and optimally stable since January 1st, 1998.
The range of controls in place to protect consumers and to eradicate the disease continues to be rigorously enforced.
In particular, it should be noted that specified risk material is removed from all cattle slaughtered.
Two weeks ago the department announced that because of the continuing fall in BSE numbers, it was changing its policy on depopulating the entire herd in which a case was found, to one of removing the diseased animal and searching for cohort animals which might have eaten the same contaminated food.