Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 May 2022
401. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his officials will be carrying out investigations to determine if the wild goat herd in the Burren, County Clare is carrying tuberculosis, in view of the risk this poses to the herds of local farmers. [25552/22]
View answerA number of euthanised wild goats from the Burren Aillwee mountain were examined for the presence of TB post mortem in the winter of 2016/17. 16 goats were examined, all of which were negative for Bovine TB.
There is no statutory surveillance programme for TB in goats. However, TB in goats is a notifiable disease under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 and the Notification and Control of Diseases Affecting Terrestrial Animals (no.2) Regulations 2016.
Wild goats are not a protected species and farmers can choose to control them if they encroach on their land. Arising from concerns expressed by local stakeholders my Department has offered to carry out a general health screen on a sample of wild goats, including TB testing in the Burren area. This is being considered by local farmers and may be acted upon outside of the kid season.
