asked the Minister for Agriculture the number of (a) administrative staff, (b) agricultural staff officers and (c) private veterinary practitioners working on the disease eradication scheme in each year since 1954.
Written Answers. - Disease Eradication Scheme.
388.
Detailed statistics are not available of the numbers of persons in the categories stated who were involved in the disease eradication programme for each year since 1954. In 1982 a total of 586 administrative staff, 186 veterinary staff and 282 agricultural officers employed by the Department were engaged in the programme, in addition to approximately 800 private veterinary practitioners who participated on a fee-paid basis. The position in 1983 was virtually unchanged.
389.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the incidence of bovine TB nationally in each year since 1954.
The table hereunder sets out details of herd incidence of bovine TB in the years 1966 to date. Comparable figures for earlier years are not available. In the late 1950s the incidence was as high as 80 per cent of herds tested.
|
Year |
% Herds reactor on round |
|
1966 |
2.80 |
|
1967 |
3.29 |
|
1968 |
3.30 |
|
1969 |
4.40 |
|
1970 |
4.49 |
|
1971 |
4.12 |
|
1972 |
4.50 |
|
1973 |
4.84 |
|
1974 |
5.14 |
|
1975 |
Veterinary dispute |
|
1976 |
Veterinary dispute |
|
1977 |
7.50(1) |
|
1978 |
— |
|
1979 |
3.95(2) |
|
1980 |
2.94 |
|
1981 |
2.11 |
|
1982 |
2.76 |
|
1983 |
2.33 |
(1) Following the veterinary dispute a round of testing commenced in October 1976 which did not finish until December 1977.
(2) The 1978/79 round of testing commenced in January 1978 and carried on into May 1979.