More than 500 goats are to be tested for BSE following its discovery in a goat in France.
The disease, which has only been identified so far in cattle, was found in a goat last October. Goat's meat is eaten as a delicacy in many parts of the south of France.
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy was confirmed on January 28th, which sparked a European Commission demand for increased testing in goat herds.
The EU's Standing Committee for the Food Chain and Animal Health has proposed increased testing of goats for at least six months. This has been accepted by the Commission.
Initially, the increased testing will take place primarily in member-states where BSE is present in the cattle population.
As it will be based on the goat population in each member-state, Ireland will have to carry out 450 tests on live animals at abattoirs and 100 tests on animals which die on farms.
There are an estimated 17,000 goats in the State, used mainly for milk and cheese production.
A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture and Food said: "A number of samples from goats have been tested here for TSEs [ transmissible spongiform encephalopathies] recently and all were negative. In addition, an identification system for goats is to be introduced as required by EU legislation from July next."
All confirmed TSE cases will be subjected to a three-step testing scheme, already in use, which will differentiate between scrapie and BSE.