Vol. 420 No. 5
1 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the present status regarding the bovine disease eradication programme; if ERAD is still in existence; if he will outline the extent to which round testing is taking place; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
13 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline his intentions in relation to the TB eradication programme.
Wexford): I propose taking Questions Nos. 1 and 13 together.
The ERAD four-year term concluded in April this year and in accordance with the undertaking in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress, I initiated discussions with farming and veterinary organisations to review progress under ERAD and devise an agreed consensus on the bovine TB programme for the next four years to 1996. In the course of these discussions, the thrust of the programme has largely been agreed with the exception of a small number of issues. Discussions are also taking place with the EC Commission with a view to securing funding for the programme.
Under the current testing programme a herdowner can obtain a herd test on request, and testing has also been issued to coincide with the establishment of a leukosis-free status for the national herd. The volume of TB testing is well on target and almost one third of the country's 172,000 herds have already been tested in 1992.
Is the Minister aware that the feeling abroad is that ERAD is falling asunder and that the entire TB testing scheme has ceased to function as it should? I understand that no round testing is taking place at present. This is rather an alarming state of affairs.
(Wexford): The Government are anxious to resolve the problem. As I said, two issues have still to be resolved — the problem involving the veterinary practitioners and the proposal by the ICMSA that the scope of the disease levies applicable to milk sold and animals slaughtered should be broadened to include mart sales. This proposal is at variance with the thinking of the IFA and ICOS. We are working to resolve these problems as quickly as possible.
Does the Minister have an estimate of the cost of the bovine TB eradication scheme to date? Would a figure of £1 billion sound accurate?
There is a question on the Order Paper relating to that issue.
If this is the case, we sought not to anticipate that question.
Perhaps the Minister would like to take both questions together.
That would not be appropriate now.
Does a figure of £1 billion sound accurate?
I call Question No. 2.
I will answer the question myself: the figure is probably in excess of £1 billion.
