Teagasc has "virtually agreed" compensation terms with the Department of Agriculture, following a case of BSE among its 340strong pedigree herd at its research installation in Moorepark, Co Cork. Once the financial arrangements, including evaluation of the budgetary implications for the organisation, are completed, the herd will be destroyed, Teagasc's director, Dr Liam Downey, said yesterday.
It had been speculated that the herd might be retained for BSE research purposes. Teagasc, however, has been among the global leaders in dairy research, which requires availability of a large disease-free herd. Compensation in this case is likely to cost the taxpayer more than £250,000.
Teagasc will soon be embarking on an investigation with the Department into possible causes and at the same time devising a restocking strategy, he said. "Our aim is to get back into business as quickly as possible."
