asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will comment on the progress of the epidemiology study being carried out by UCD and AFT vets; and if it has given any indication as to the causes of new outbreaks of TB.
Written Answers. - TB Research Group.
151.
I presume the Deputy is referring to the TB research group comprising representatives from the Veterinary College of Ireland. An Foras Talúntais, veterinary practitioners and veterinary research personnel from my Department which is chaired by a senior officer of my Department and which was set up in 1984 to identify particular aspects of TB that required further investigation.
The group has selected a number of aspects of the eradication programme for special examination. These include the scope for improving the TB detection rate in slaughtered cattle, more detailed analysis of the post-mortem examinations of reactor and non-reactor cattle from depopulated herds, studies on individual chronic herds, the role of certain species of wildlife and the feasibility of constructing an economic model for bovine TB control.
The group provides a valuable forum for guiding TB research here at home and for monitoring developments both in Ireland and abroad. The scope of the group's activity is, however, considerably wider than providing indications of causes of new outbreaks of TB, an aspect on which there already exists a considerable volume of information.