Vol. 348 No. 12
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will consider making all of County Kilkenny a disaster area in view of the very serious outbreak of TB in the county; and if he will give it the same serious attention as would be given if it were an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.
428.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will consider paying farmers in County Kilkenny more realistic grants for their diseased stock in view of the recent serious outbreak of TB in that county.
429.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the cause of the present outbreak of TB in County Kilkenny.
430.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will arrange to have the hardship section of the hardship fund scheme reintroduced for TB reactors in badly affected areas such as Kilkenny which would help farmers affected in the Johnswell, Kilmocar and other adjoining areas in County Kilkenny.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 427 to 430, inclusive, together.
It has not been possible to establish conclusively the initial source of infection in the recent outbreak of TB in North Kilkenny. Local conditions such as poor fencing and fragmented holdings facilitated the rapid spread of the disease and, as a consequence, TB has become well established in a number of herds in the area. My Department are paying special attention to the outbreak through intensification of testing, with special emphasis on herds contiguous to reactor herds.
While this is a serious outbreak, there can be no question of my Department pursuing the type of slaughter policy which would be adopted in the event of an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
I am satisfied that present levels of reactor grants, together with the meat factory salvage value of reactor animals, offer a reasonable level of reimbursement to affected herdowners. Grant levels were substantially increased a year ago.
The serious Exchequer situation precludes any change in the hardship fund which would give rise to additional expenditure.
