Vol. 435 No. 1
50 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the steps, if any, he has taken to obtain necessary funding through the EC Veterinary Fund to accelerate disease eradication; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
64 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he has received the full EC contribution towards the cost of the Bovine TB eradication scheme for 1993; if not, when he expects to have the full allocation; if the absence of the money will in the interim have any adverse effects on the ongoing implementation of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
66 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he has satisfied himself with the progress to date in TB eradication.
67 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the present position regarding the application for EC funding for the bovine TB eradication scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 50, 64, 66 and 67 together.
EC funding for the 1993 Bovine TB programme has not become available. Agreement has been reached with the Commission Services on the technical conditions associated with the funding but the EC Veterinary Fund is not adequate to meet existing demands.
I have been pressing at EC Council level for an increase in the Veterinary Fund in order to enable the TB Programme in this country to be supported as well as having a greater level of resources available to assist the attainment of the highest possible animal health status in the Single Market.
The 1993 annual round of testing is well on the way to completion.
With over 99 per cent of the cattle population free of TB the problem is a residual one. I am satisfied with the fact that orderly and complete rounds of testing have been carried out in recent years and with the reduction in the incidence. However testing per se is not the full solution and special emphasis is being placed on having a more broadly based strategy in order to address all the factors involved in the spread of TB as well as incorporating new technological developments into the programme.
