DNA tests have been carried out on animals in Co Cork by the Department of Agriculture in the fight against farmers who attempt to cheat in the tests being carried out on their cattle for brucellosis and TB, writes Sean MacConnell, Agriculture Correspondent.
The use of the high-technology testing emerged yesterday as gardai questioned a man in relation to an alleged fraud involving the brucellosis test. The man had challenged the results of blood tests which were carried out on three cows by Department of Agriculture veterinary inspectors.
He had obtained independent tests on the animals and submitted the results of these as proof that the Department tests were incorrect. However, it was learned yesterday that the Department subjected the samples to DNA testing and found that the blood samples submitted to them independently, had not been taken from the same animals they had tested.