THE number of cases of BSE recorded in June dropped to three, according to the Department of Agriculture, which welcomed the decline in the disease.
Since the beginning of the year 34 cases have been discovered, and while this is higher than all previous years except 1996, it indicates a decline in the rate of infection.
The three new cases were in Carlow, Cavan and Cork. Two were in dairy herds and the third in a suckler cow herd. All the animals involved were five year olds.
Nearly 300 animals will be slaughtered in line with the Department's policy of destroying all animals in a herd where the disease has been identified.
Since 1989, when the disease was first identified here, 226 cases have been confirmed in the national herd, which has been standing at seven million animals.
The number of cases remained at under 20 a year until the second half of 1296, when there was a dramatic increase from 18 in 1995 to 74, creating serious problems for the industry.
As a result, vital live cattle exports were lost to Ireland in North Africa, and Russia, who had become our largest non EU purchaser of beef, imposed a ban on beef from eight counties.
This ban, covering Cork, Tipperary, Monaghan, Limerick, Cavan, Wexford, Meath and Donegal, is still in place but may be reviewed later this week when Russian veterinary officials visit Ireland.
The Egyptian government has removed its six-month ban on the import of live cattle from Ireland and shipments are expected to be resumed in the autumn.
The Egyptians, however, are continuing to import beef.
The hope is that Ireland, which now has the strictest controls on BSE in Europe, will benefit from, the falling levels of the disease now being reported.