Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
2144. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cost of badger culling in the years 2019 to date in 2022; the number of badgers culled by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41342/22]
View answerThe Wildlife Unit of the Bovine TB (bTB) Eradication Programme removes badgers from areas where there have been epidemiological links to badgers and bovine TB breakdowns in accordance with licences from the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The table below shows the breakdown of badger capture and removal in culling areas since 2019. The decrease from 2019 to 2020 in the number of badgers removed reflects the addition of vaccination zones throughout the country. The increase since then is associated with an increase in badger-mediated bTB breakdowns as bTB levels rose.
Table: Badgers Captured and Removed in Culling Areas
|
DVO Office |
Total Badgers Captured and Removed in Culling Areas 2019 |
Total Badgers Captured and Removed in Culling Areas 2020 |
Total Badgers Captured and Removed in Culling Areas 2021 |
Total Badgers Captured and Removed in Culling Areas2022 To Date |
|
Carlow |
128 |
79 |
3 |
1 |
|
Cavan |
186 |
278 |
460 |
199 |
|
Clare |
478 |
548 |
531 |
291 |
|
Cork North |
165 |
310 |
347 |
230 |
|
Cork South |
309 |
276 |
386 |
244 |
|
Donegal |
162 |
59 |
159 |
20 |
|
Dublin |
9 |
21 |
8 |
18 |
|
Galway |
283 |
250 |
202 |
159 |
|
Kerry |
263 |
240 |
329 |
217 |
|
Kildare |
151 |
56 |
173 |
111 |
|
Kilkenny |
117 |
39 |
42 |
26 |
|
Laois |
206 |
105 |
143 |
105 |
|
Leitrim |
298 |
244 |
0 |
0 |
|
Limerick |
180 |
82 |
205 |
120 |
|
Longford |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Louth |
0 |
0 |
12 |
0 |
|
Mayo |
240 |
121 |
146 |
117 |
|
Meath |
48 |
172 |
174 |
93 |
|
Monaghan |
311 |
173 |
275 |
180 |
|
Offaly |
119 |
144 |
185 |
172 |
|
Roscommon |
178 |
126 |
302 |
209 |
|
Sligo |
182 |
142 |
286 |
172 |
|
Tipperary North |
260 |
340 |
383 |
191 |
|
Tipperary South |
164 |
114 |
75 |
75 |
|
Waterford |
85 |
127 |
122 |
48 |
|
Westmeath |
198 |
273 |
454 |
273 |
|
Wexford |
256 |
154 |
242 |
95 |
|
Wicklow East |
130 |
148 |
119 |
51 |
|
Wicklow West |
148 |
185 |
105 |
76 |
|
Totals |
5254 |
4806 |
5868 |
3493 |
Table 2. Badger Capture and Removal Culling Costs
|
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 To Date |
|
|
€m |
€m |
€m |
€m |
|
|
Operational Costs |
2.333 |
2.275 |
2.673 |
1.810 |
|
*Services/Supplies Costs |
0.510 |
0.670 |
0.846 |
0.391 |
|
Total |
2.843 |
2.945 |
3.519 |
2.201 |
*The expenditure on services and supplies supports the overall Badger Capture and Vaccination programme and cannot be apportioned between the capture and vaccination projects.
