Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 October 2006
475 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her attention has been drawn to recent research regarding the spread of bovine tuberculosis to wildlife; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32932/06]
View answerIt is assumed that the Deputy is referring to the recent study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. The study, which concentrated mostly on the situation in the United Kingdom, indicates that, in the UK, badgers are implicated in transmitting Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (TB), to cattle. This finding is line with research undertaken concerning bovine TB in Ireland. However, the study also includes an observation that badger culling has the capacity to both increase and decrease the level of T.B. incidence in different areas and that repeated badger culling in the same area is associated with increasing prevalence of M. bovis infection in badgers. These observations do not concur with my Department's experience in dealing with bovine TB and published research studies such as the East Offaly Project and the Four Areas Study have demonstrated that, as badger cull was repeated, the prevalence of infection in badgers and cattle decreased.
Notwithstanding the findings of this research undertaken in Ireland, my Department, in association with CVERA (the Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis) is currently undertaking a critical review of the work on which the conclusions of the UK study were based. It would appear that there are fundamental differences between the badger populations found on both islands and that badgers in England exist at far higher population densities than observed on this island. These differences may be such that many of the conclusions obtained from UK studies are not applicable to the Irish situation and vice versa.
476 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a final report will be made available to a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan; her views on this type of delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32937/06]
View answerMy Department's Veterinary Laboratory Service involvement in this investigation commenced with a field visit to the farm by laboratory staff on 17 July 2006 — the day on which the Laboratory Service was first made aware of the problem by the farmer's private veterinary practitioner (PVP). A further visit to the farm was made by Laboratory staff together with Monaghan County Council Veterinary Officer, and a Monaghan DVO Veterinary Inspector, on 27 July 2006. A wide selection of clinical samples was collected from animals during these visits for laboratory analysis. In addition, full post-mortem examinations were carried out on five cows submitted to my Department's Laboratory at Athlone.
While a number of possible causes were considered and investigated by my Department's Laboratory Service, nothing was identified that could account for these losses and for the clinical and pathological findings. Although Botulinum toxin was not detected in samples examined, botulism remains the suspected cause of the problem on the farm. The hardener's PVPs were kept fully informed of the progress of the investigation throughout. This was done by way of on-farm discussions, telephone and written reports. Printed reports both interim and final were faxed or posted to the veterinary practice as results became available. There was no delay in providing information and reports to the individual's private veterinary practitioner.
