Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2012
1385. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine if he will consider amending the rules in relation to neighbouring herds, where a doubtful animal is found on a farm during a TB test, farmers must re-test their animals if they have not been tested in the last four months, by relaxing this rule to six months particularly in view of the very difficult year in farming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37896/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe bovine TB eradication programme includes a comprehensive range of measures aimed at eradicating TB from the cattle population in Ireland through testing and the control of cattle movements in order to prevent the spread of disease. More specifically, the programme provides for the mandatory annual testing of all cattle in the national herd, the implementation of a range of supplementary tests and the restriction of herds where TB is disclosed or suspected.
The eradication programme is reviewed on an ongoing basis by my Department in light of experience and research. Following a review conducted on the programme last year, my Department introduced a number of changes in order to ensure that the programme addressed all potential sources of infection and to prevent the spread of disease from infected herds to clear herds. These changes, which were made following a number of consultation meetings with the farming organisations, are, firstly, based on research which demonstrate that there are increased risks attached to the movement of certain animals and, secondly, are designed to protect clear herds from buying in high risk animals.
With regard to the Contiguous testing programme, herdowners whose herds are adjoining a holding where a high risk TB breakdown has been disclosed, usually involving more than one reactor, are required to have their herd tested if it has not been tested within the preceding 4 months. I should clarify that herds which adjoin a herd where a doubtful reactor has been disclosed are not included in a contiguous testing programme. The only change which my Department has made to the contiguous testing arrangements is that herds adjoining a high risk breakdown are now being trade restricted, except to slaughter, pending a TB test. Previously, such herds were permitted to sell cattle on the open market prior to carrying out the test and research had shown that this posed a risk to clear herds. Research has shown the TB risk relating to animals that move out of herds which have been identified as contiguous to a herd experiencing an active high risk TB breakdown is almost 3 times greater than the risk in the case of herds tested on a round test. The objective of the restriction is to protect clear herds from buying in infected animals from these herds and thereby avoid the situation where a clear herd that buys in infected cattle is required to carry out a minimum of 2 herd tests and is restricted for 4 months.
With regard to the four month testing interval, the choice of four months as the benchmark period under this programme has been part of the contiguous testing programme for the past 30 years. The four month period is related to the time interval from when an animal may be exposed to infection and the expectation that a test will give a positive result, if the animal is infected. In line with the new procedures relating to overdue tests, it is open to herd owners who have a genuine reason for delaying the contiguous test to get in contact with my Department and the test can be deferred for up to one month without penalty. I would also emphasise that staff in my regional offices will always be available to discuss, with any affected herd owner, the particular circumstances relating to their herd.
I believe that the restriction on contiguous herds pending a test should have a very limited effect on trade in cattle. In effect, it is only those herds in which TB is disclosed that will be restricted for any significant period of time. Finally, I would underline that the primary objective of the restriction is to reduce the risk that farmer purchasers of animals will unknowingly buy a potentially infected animal from a higher risk herd.
