asked the Minister for Agriculture in view of the grave misgivings that the bovine disease testing programme may be jeopardised by the current difficulties surrounding the new testing plan and the danger that the incidence in disease will grow to the detriment of the economy in general, if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Bovine TB Disease Eradication.
617.
In the national plan the Government indicated that subject to certain conditions very substantial extra funds would be made available for disease eradication. The Irish Veterinary Union, however, refused to accept some of these conditions. In negotiations with the union my Department offered some very generous concessions, while maintaining the basic principles laid down by the Government, but the union chose to reject the package. There can be no question of continuing to spend huge amounts of Exchequer money on eradication measures which have failed to make any progress in recent years, and so I have directed that the new programme should go ahead using such veterinary resources as are available.