Arrangements have already been put in train for the commencement of this year's bovine TB eradication programme, involving a full test on every herd in the country together with any necessary consequential testing. EU funding for the disease eradication schemes has not yet become available. While agreement has been reached with the Commission on the technical conditions associated with the funding application, the financial resource currently available to the EU veterinary fund is not adequate to meet existing member state applications. The Minister is continuing to press at EU Council level for an increase in the veterinary fund to enable the TB programme in this country to be supported, as well as having a greater level of resources to assist the attainment of the highest possible animal health status in the Single Market.
There are no proposals to increase the rates of the levies payable under the Bovine Diseases (Levies) Act, 1979. Levies were reduced in 1993.