Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2020
879. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of cattle recommended for culling as part of the TB letters issued to farmers recently by county; the number of letters issued by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24915/20]
View answerThe Bovine TB Forum Interim Report (published July 2019) identified the need to provide more effective information to farmers to help them reduce the risk of TB in their herd and advocated for the development of herd risk categories that are “simple, clear, and convey sufficient information to enable farmers to make the decisions appropriate to their situation”. In line with, and in view of implementing those recommendations, the Department has developed individualised reports that provide a simplified TB herd risk category for farmers, with herd-specific advice on how to reduce risk of TB.
The reports do not require farmers to do anything. It is advice which they can choose to take if they wish to reduce the risk of their herd to TB. Approximately 1.7 million cattle are slaughtered annually in Ireland, and typically on Irish farms, the culling rate for cows is approximately 20% per annum. Tb risk factors are an issue that farmers should take account of in the decisions they take as part of their annual farm management when deciding what animals to cull.
Cattle which have in the past tested inconclusive and re-tested negative are at a much higher risk of developing TB and spreading the disease to other cattle while they remain in the herd of disclosure. In some cases, these animals are retained for years, only to then cause a severe breakdown.
Likewise, cattle which were present in a herd during a previous breakdown are at a higher risk of having residual infection which could then recrudesce and cause a subsequent outbreak.
The table below gives the number of letters issued per county Regional Veterinary Office (RVO).
|
County RVO |
No. of Herds/letters issued in each Category |
|
CARLOW RVO |
1,283 |
|
CAVAN RVO |
4,735 |
|
CLARE RVO |
5,979 |
|
CORK NORTH RVO |
5,613 |
|
CORK SOUTH RVO |
5,879 |
|
DONEGAL RVO |
5,191 |
|
DUBLIN RVO |
351 |
|
GALWAY RVO |
10,922 |
|
KERRY RVO |
6,556 |
|
KILDARE RVO |
1,758 |
|
KILKENNY RVO |
3,026 |
|
LAOIS RVO |
2,695 |
|
LEITRIM RVO |
2,895 |
|
LIMERICK RVO |
5,282 |
|
LONGFORD RVO |
2,354 |
|
LOUTH RVO |
1,154 |
|
MAYO RVO |
8,810 |
|
MEATH RVO |
3,623 |
|
MONAGHAN RVO |
4,171 |
|
OFFALY RVO |
2,972 |
|
ROSCOMMON RVO |
5,342 |
|
SLIGO RVO |
3,403 |
|
TIPPERARY NORTH RVO |
3,331 |
|
TIPPERARY SOUTH RVO |
3,338 |
|
WATERFORD RVO |
2,167 |
|
WESTMEATH RVO |
2,999 |
|
WEXFORD RVO |
3,056 |
|
WICKLOW EAST RVO |
1,057 |
|
WICKLOW WEST RVO |
516 |
|
Totals |
110,458 |
The published Bovine TB Forum Interim Report, a sample of the TB Herd History risk statement and report and frequently asked questions can be found at www.bovinetb.ie.
