asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will make a statement on the success of the disesase eradication schemes in County Limerick; and their appropriate cost to date.
Written Answers. - Disease Eradication Programme.
124.
The current prevalence of bovine TB in County Limerick which has been falling in recent years is 1.9 per cent of herds compared to the national average of 3.69 per cent. In line with the general trend there has been some increase in the disease prevalence in Limerick in recent months which can be attributed to the intensive nature of the testing in the current round. Up to the end of October some 7,230 herds, i.e. 77 per cent of all herds in County Limerick, had been tested. The expectation is that this year's intensive campaign will yield worthwhile results over the coming year in the form of a considerable reduction in disease levels.
In the case of brucellosis, 0.98 per cent of County Limerick herds are infected compared with 0.30 per cent for the country as a whole. While the Limerick figure is well above the national average, it represents a significant improvement on the position two year's ago when 2.04 per cent of herds were infected. Further substantial progress is expected over the coming year in eradicating brucellosis from the national herd and, while set backs can never be ruled out entirely in the case of disease, a particular improvement is expected in the relatively high disease areas such as County Limerick. A breakdown of expenditure on a county basis is not available.