Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 September 2021
783. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the TB incidence rate in cattle for the years 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, by month in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43458/21]
View answer784. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the TB incidence rate for each of the years 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021, by county and quarter in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43459/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 783 and 784 together.
The attached spreadsheet provides TB herd incidence rates per quarter for the years 2018 -2020, and 2021 (Q1 and Q2). The Department does not publish monthly TB statistics.
Following many successful years of reducing bovine TB levels to the benefit of Irish farmers, there had been a concerning incremental increase in the disease from 2016 onwards. I am acutely aware of the financial and emotional impact there is on farm families impacted by a TB outbreak and I am committed to driving down rates nationally. In 2020, herd incidence (on a year to date basis) breached 4% for the first time since 2012 and reactor numbers exceeded 20,000 – the highest number since 2009.
These trends highlighted the need for urgent action by all stakeholders to manage the risk more effectively across all transmission routes.
Whilst the 2017-2020 trend was disappointing, overall good progress has been made over the past decade, and figures to the end of quarter 2, 2021 are showing promising signs of improvement with herd incidence being 0.21% lower than the same period in 2020.
Earlier this year I launched a new launched a new Bovine TB Eradication Strategy 2021-2030. The implementation of this strategy is overseen by an established TB Forum group supported by three working groups – a scientific group, implementation group and finance group which will ensure that all aspects of the Strategy are addressed.
The strategy is not set in stone and it will be subject to amendment and refinement on an on-going basis. This new TB Strategy is available on www.bovinetb.ie. It is my hope and my expectation that the implementation of the strategy in partnership with all stakeholders will serve to drive disease incidence down even further.
