Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 April 2004
221 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his response to the suspension of badger culling by the British Animal Health and Welfare Minister following research showing that reactive badger culling increased the rate of bovine tuberculosis in cattle by 27%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11241/04]
View answerI am aware of the decision of the UK authorities to suspend reactive culling of badgers, following reported indications of an increase in TB in cattle. However, I would point out that such a response to the removal of badgers under the Irish programme has not been observed. In any event, it is not possible to extrapolate the UK position to this country as the ecology of the badger is different here — in the UK 70% of badger setts are in woodland and 30% in pasture, while the reverse applies in Ireland and the social group size is different.
Apart from this, I would draw the Deputy's attention to the recent Godfray Review of the randomised culling trial and associated epidemiological research, the response thereto by the independent scientific group on cattle TB and further comments by the Statistical Auditor to the randomised badger culling trials. All of these appear to be at one in their belief that the reactive trials in the UK were suspended prematurely.
