Charlie McConalogue
Ceist:8Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine his plans to review the TB testing programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28538/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 14 June 2012
Ceisteanna (8)
Freagraí ó Béal (6 píosaí cainte)
We have already dealt with a question on TB testing. It is crucial to go through it again. As long as I can remember - I have been farming since I was 14 years of age - TB has been the scourge of every farmer. Given the lowest levels on record were achieved in 2011, we need to put every effort into the eradication of TB. We were delighted to receive telephone calls two months ago about the new regulations that were being introduced. There is no way we can be seen to be soft on it. We have a chance of a lifetime to eradicate it. Every effort has to be made to that end. Like everybody else, I was delighted to hear what the Minister said earlier about the ongoing negotiations with the farming community. The eradication of TB needs to be a priority. We need to consider the role of badgers and deer in this context. Such matters have to be examined in conjunction with our other efforts.
The bovine TB eradication programme includes a comprehensive range of measures, including the mandatory annual testing of all cattle in the national herd, the early removal of reactors, the payment of compensation for cattle removed as reactors, implementation of a range of supplementary tests such as post-derestriction and contiguous tests, a wildlife programme and the depopulation of infected herds in some cases. These measures have proven to be relatively effective in recent years, as evidenced by the significant reduction in disease levels over the past decade. For example, herd incidence has fallen from 7.53% in 2000 to 4.18% last year. Reactor numbers in 2011 - 18,500 - were the lowest recorded since the commencement of the programme in the 1950s. Reactor numbers and herd incidence have continued to fall in 2012.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House.
The eradication programme is scientifically based and my Department continues to monitor and review the effectiveness and efficiency of the programme on an ongoing basis in light of experience and research. In this context, my Department reviewed the programme last year and concluded that, if we want to progress towards eradication, it was necessary to address all other potential sources of infection, including from neighbouring herds and the movement of high risk animals, in addition to the emphasis which has been placed on badgers as a source of infection in recent years. It also concluded that it was necessary to ensure that testing is conducted in a timely manner. In light of this, my Department introduced a number of changes into the TB programme earlier this year to prevent the spread of disease from infected herds to clear herds and to tighten up on overdue testing. These changes were made following a number of consultation meetings with the farming organisations.
I emphasise that the changes are based on research which demonstrates that increased risks are attached to the movement of certain animals. The changes are also designed to protect clear herds from buying in high-risk animals. For example, the restrictions imposed on the movement of inconclusive reactors are based on research which showed that standard inconclusive reactors which passed the retest and moved out of the herd, subsequent to passing the test, were 12 times more likely to be TB positive at the subsequent test or at slaughter compared to all other animals in the herd. The new controls on the movement of animals out of herds which have been identified as contiguous to a herd experiencing an active high-risk TB breakdown are based on research which showed that the risk of such herds disclosing TB is almost three times greater than the risk in the case of herds tested on a round test.
Following representations from the farming sector, my Department has reviewed the new arrangements. I have clarified that my Department will contact herd owners prior to restricting their herds under the contiguous testing programme and that herds which are trade-restricted pending a test will not be excluded from the Russian trade. In addition, I have made a number of changes to the new arrangements relating to overdue tests so that herd owners who, having genuine reasons, negotiate a delay of up to one month with the departmental veterinary office prior to the overdue date will not have any penalties applied. In addition, herd owners who postpone their tests with the permission of the office or are contiguous to a high-risk breakdown and are waiting for a test will be permitted to buy in animals for a limited period.
Everybody is committed to the eradication of TB. It is vitally important, particularly for suckler producers in the west who sell at the end of the year. As a farmer who had reactors on the farm last year, I understand the concerns in this regard and know full well the damage they can do. I heard the Minister speaking about the approach that is taken if there are some fields of barley, forestry or silage fields between contiguous herds. Such matters have to be taken into consideration. Flexibility is vitally important. The rules of the scheme, as they were being implemented in recent months, had to be followed. Farmers and veterinary officers throughout the country want to get the best results. There has been significant co-operation on the TB scheme between farmers and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food over 50 or 60 years. A little common sense is needed at this time, however. The worst affected farmers are those who have had no TB showing up in their own tests - they may have had generations of clear tests - but cannot sell their weanlings because of the test results in a contiguous herd. I appeal to the Minister to make sure a common sense approach is taken when departmental officials are discussing these matters with farmers.
I should not intervene in the debate, but I wonder if the approach that is adopted if there are fields of barley between two farms also applies if there is a roadway between them.
I agree with what Deputy Moynihan has said about flexibility. Regardless of the decisions we make, we should stand by them. We cannot have an open-ended approach even if there is a roadway or a field of barley between the farms, or if the four-month or six-month rule applies. One has to do the whole lot together. Reference has been made to wildlife. In the 1960s, there were approximately 2,500 or 3,000 deer in this country. That number had increased to 25,000 by the 1980s. At present, there are almost 250,000 wild deer in Ireland. If we do not do something about that, in five years' time there will as many deer as there are unemployed people.
We could shoot them.
There is nothing in place in relation to TB in that regard. Although I am a farmer, I think we have to be ruthless when we make decisions. Deputy Moynihan referred to suckler farmers. Regardless of whether we provide for four months or six months, we need to be ruthless. There should not be an open-ended approach on the part of the farmer, the vet and the Department. If these are the rules, we should stick to them.