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Herd Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 September 2020

Tuesday, 15 September 2020

Ceisteanna (117, 122)

Martin Browne

Ceist:

117. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the concerns that many farmers have on the issuing of tuberculosis, TB, herd history risk letters to farmers and the implications of same in terms of GDPR; the impact that such letters have on the value of herds that have passed a test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23941/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Niamh Smyth

Ceist:

122. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will engage with farmers in relation to concerns regarding the decision to provide personalised herd test history statements and reports. [23767/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí ó Béal (10 píosaí cainte)

I ask that we would also deal with Questions Nos. 133 and 139 as they are on the same topic.

Yes, if they are on the same issue, I will deal with them.

I congratulate the Minister on his appointment. I want to get his views on the concerns many farmers have on the issuing of tuberculosis herd history risk letters to farmers and the implications of same in terms of GDPR; the impact that such letters have on the value of herds that have passed a test; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 122 together. I thank Deputy Browne for his question and congratulate him on his recent election.

Herd test history statements and reports are issued to all cattle herdowners with the aim of helping them to reduce the risk of bovine TB in cattle herds. The bovine TB forum interim report identified the need to provide more effective information to farmers to help them reduce the risk of TB in their herd and advocated for the development of herd risk categories that are “simple, clear, and convey sufficient information to enable farmers to make the decisions appropriate to their situation”. Against this background, the Department developed individualised reports that provide a simplified TB herd risk category for farmers, with herd-specific advice on how to reduce risk of TB.

There is a large, robust body of scientific evidence on bovine TB and this scientific evidence underpins the advice contained in the herd history statement. Furthermore, the content of the statement is consistent with the advice that has been provided by my Department for several years, including in newsletters, videos, leaflets and other media. Farmers are already provided with information in regard to their TB risk, but this report presents this in a new and user-friendly format.

Following many successful years of reducing bovine TB levels to the benefit of the farming community, there has been a concerning incremental increase in the disease since 2016. This has continued in 2020, with further increases in herd incidence and reactor numbers observed. Herd incidence on a 12-month rolling basis has breached 4% for the first time since 2012 and reactor numbers have exceeded 20,000, the highest number since 2009. These trends highlight the need for urgent action by all stakeholders to manage the risk more effectively across all transmission routes. It is this need for action that is my Department’s primary motivation in issuing the herd history statements.

While the immediate trends are disappointing and worrying, great progress has been made over the past decade. During 2009, some 5,860 herds were subject to restriction while the number in 2019 was down to 4,060. By working together, we have made progress previously and we need to make progress again. I have listened carefully to the concerns raised by farmers following the issuance of these letters and I am eager to schedule a TB forum meeting as soon as possible to further develop a shared understanding of how, collectively, we can reduce TB incidence.

My Department remains committed to reducing TB in Ireland, as demonstrated by the recent sanctioning of an additional 16 officers to assist the TB programme. Attaining TB-free status remains critical from a farm family profitability and sustainability perspective, and from a trade perspective at national and international level. I am acutely conscious that every TB restriction represents a significant challenge to the farm family concerned. It is a deep regret that, today, more than 2,700 herds are currently restricted, which represents a 21% increase on the same time last year. I want to work with all stakeholders to ensure fewer herdowners experience the challenges associated with a TB restriction and that we all work purposefully towards eradication of this disease, thus eliminating this ongoing cost on farmers and the State.

Separately, I understand some queries have been raised in respect of GDPR. I know the letters were designed to be in line with European and national legislation, taking account of data that is already available to herdowners. My Department will engage fully with data protection concerns that are raised in regard to the TB letters.

Farmers accept this needs to be tackled. However, in recent times, we have had meetings with farming organisations and all have expressed their concern at the issuing of letters regarding TB herd history. It has angered not just farmers in my constituency but all over the country. They are saying that what the Department has done is to affect the welfare of individual farmers by sending out letters, and many of them believe this leads to the devaluation of their herds. This was all done without any protection being offered to them at a time farm families are really struggling, which is accepted by all in the House.

One of the biggest worries they have concerns the implications of GDPR. Will the Minister outline the decision which led to letters being sent out? Will he speak to the farmers who believe their livelihoods may have been damaged as a result? Will he comment on the data protection implications?

It is not an easy job to unite all of the farm organisations but they are all united in the belief that this was an insensitive and insane move. Notwithstanding Deputy Browne’s valid concerns, people are asking what exactly was the purpose of this, how much it cost and whether it was the case that when the cat is away, the mice will play, given the fluctuation in the ministerial post.

Would the Minister have allowed this to happen or stood over it if he had been in office at the time? I suspect he would not. I suspect he would have done what the former Minister, Deputy Creed, apparently did which was to say, "Put them back in the drawer as we have better things to be doing at the moment".

Regarding the background to it, as I outlined, the interim report of the TB forum was important in that regard. That report advocated the development of herd risk categories that are simple, clear and convey sufficient information to enable farmers to make decisions appropriate to their situation. I know farmers have expressed concern about the letters. All of us can unite on the fact that we must address the issue of figures for positive incidences of TB increasing and going in the wrong direction. The people who are penalised and lose most from that are the farmers affected. As I said, 2,700 herds are currently restricted.

I am open to ideas on how we can address that, because we must address it to improve the situation for farmers and to work towards reaching a position where we can eradicate TB as we did with brucellosis previously. Another prompt meeting of the TB forum would be a positive move in that regard.

I have to disagree with the Minister. The people who are operating in the sector say it devalues their herds. The letters in question were not agreed in the TB forum, which has to get up and running a great deal better than what is happening. What is concerning is that following recent events farmers need to have confidence in the Department and they just do not have it now. Various organisations have spoken about how the farmers' faith in the Department is being eroded. These letters did little to help that, and I believe the Minister will agree with that. Concern has been expressed that the Department is going ahead with changes to the TB eradication programme that have not been agreed, especially at the forum. Farmers are worried that the Department is falling short in that regard. The measures being taken are out of the farmers' control. Can the Minister tell us what the plan is for the TB forum?

On that point, I challenge the Minister to set a date. I welcome the fact that he has committed to reconvening the forum, but I challenge him to get it done over the next week. This is an area where I happily admit that I do not have all the answers. I do not believe anybody does. The one thing I know is that the current set of policies and procedures is not working. The figures the Minister outlined for 2019 as opposed to 2009 do not show sufficient progress when one considers the millions of euro that have been spent on TB eradication programmes. Much of that funding came directly from the EU and that funding is likely to dry up. What we are likely to get in its place are EU-set policy provisions that might not necessarily work for the Irish family farm network. We have a collective responsibility to find the answers and to tackle TB in a way that does not penalise our farmers but ensures we move to the point the Minister outlined. He will have our full support on that but I believe we must have a complete re-think.

There are not many coming forward with the answers, but we need answers. That is why I am calling a meeting of the TB forum. Nobody suffers more than farmers when herds are restricted. Farmers experience stress when they are facing a test, particularly if they have gone down in the test in recent times. There is also the cost impact on them. It is incumbent on all of us in the Oireachtas and on the farming stakeholders and primary representative organisations to work together to turn the dial in the other direction, to start to get on top of this disease again and to work towards its eradication. Certainly, the current trajectory is going in the opposite direction, and that is in nobody's interest. The reason I am calling a meeting of the TB forum is to get people together. We need the answers and we must get people behind it. How we go about it might not necessarily be easy, but we must be clear and united in the objective, which is to improve the situation for farmers, to eradicate this disease and to eradicate its massive cost to farmers. I certainly hope that in calling the stakeholders together in the TB forum we can start to move in that direction.

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