Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 February 2023
470. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he intends to introduce in order to ensure that additional TB testing in cattle as a result of new EU animal health laws will not lead to additional costs being incurred by farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5559/23]
View answerCommission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 introduced new rules for TB testing These new requirements are aimed at reducing the level of transmissible disease in animals, including bovines. They are directly applicable in all EU member states. These new regulations require that for bovine herds to retain or obtain freedom to trade on the open market, that animals moving into them must be tested within a certain time frame.
The requirements are that:
1. All bovines that are moving farm to farm or through a mart must be tested in the previous six months, and
2. They must also be moving from a herd that been tested in the previous six months.
If they do not fulfil both of these requirements, they must be tested, either within the 30 days prior to movement or within 30 days after movement into the new herd.
The majority of animals being moved currently already satisfy these time intervals, so in such cases no additional testing will be required.
Despite this, my Department has worked closely with stakeholders through the TB Forum and its sub-groups to minimise additional costs for farmers and also the taxpayer.
To minimise the administrative burden and costs, my Department has introduced flexibilities in the manner in which these rules are to be applied and has phased their introduction in transitional arrangements designed to allow time to adjust to the new requirements,.
As part of these transitional arrangements, my department will only apply the new pre-movement testing requirements to cows of all ages and to male animals over 36 months of age.
Where cows of all ages or males over 36 months have not been tested pre-movement, farmers who purchase these animals will be contacted by my Department advising them of any post movement test requirements.
If an animal does not meet the pre-movement TB testing criteria then the animal is restricted to the herd that received it and it is required to have a post movement test within 30 days. If the animal is alive and has not been tested within the 30 days then the herd is restricted.
The farmer now has another 60 days (90 days in total from when the animal moved into the herd) in which to either slaughter or test the animal.
The animal can be tested as part of a private test, or as part of any other herd level test as well as Department paid tests. If the animal is still and has not been tested after 90 days since it moved into the herd then the herd will remain restricted and it will be scheduled for a full herd level test.
In addition, my Department has indicated that subject to certain conditions, it will facilitate herd owners in moving their scheduled annual herd test forwards or backwards, to align the tests with their selling intentions. If a farmer wishes to re-schedule their annual herd test they should contact their Regional Veterinary Office in advance of the due date.
Discussions are currently ongoing at the Financial Working Group (a TB Stakeholders Forum working group) about the financing of the programme overall. Ultimately, measures to reduce the incidence of the disease will reduce the cost of the programme to farmers and taxpayers.
