I propose to take Questions Nos. 231 and 232 together.
The Bovine TB Forum Interim Report (published July 2019) 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”.
In line with, and in view of implementing those recommendations, the Department has developed individualised reports that provide a simplified TB herd risk category for farmers, with herd-specific advice on how to reduce risk of TB. The reports do not require farmers to do anything. It is advice which they can choose to take if they wish to reduce the risk of their herd to TB and to take account of in the decisions they take as part of their annual farm management when deciding what animals to cull.
The published Bovine TB Forum Interim Report, a sample of the TB Herd History risk statement and report and frequently asked questions can be found at www.bovinetb.ie
The table below provides an overall summary of herd risk categorisation and number of clear inconclusives and animals alive during a previous breakdown.
TBHHR Category
|
No. of Herds in each Category
|
No. of these herds with clear inconclusive animals
|
Total number of clear inconclusive animals
|
No. of these herds with animals alive during a previous breakdown
|
No. of animals alive during a previous breakdown
|
C0
|
5,758
|
344
|
662
|
3,958
|
288,127
|
C1
|
4,522
|
241
|
387
|
3,071
|
139,341
|
C2
|
3,982
|
218
|
393
|
2,651
|
91,257
|
C3
|
3,708
|
173
|
268
|
2,356
|
68,197
|
C4
|
3,791
|
164
|
248
|
2,282
|
50,579
|
C5
|
4,289
|
151
|
235
|
2,522
|
39,110
|
C6
|
3,535
|
172
|
261
|
2,176
|
27,831
|
C7
|
3,681
|
166
|
264
|
2,169
|
22,360
|
C8
|
3,798
|
158
|
212
|
2,208
|
16,908
|
C9
|
3,541
|
108
|
154
|
2,041
|
12,274
|
C10
|
67,537
|
1,859
|
2,607
|
22,944
|
89,290
|
D*
|
304
|
1
|
1
|
162
|
1,512
|
INF
|
2,504
|
117
|
177
|
1,969
|
117,614
|
Total
|
110,950
|
3,872
|
5,869
|
50,509
|
964,400
|
* Dealer Herds