Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 September 2021
1527. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of bovine TB outbreaks by county in each of the past ten-years to date; the action or research taken with a view to identifying the causes of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41706/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI start off by saying that I am acutely aware of the emotional and financial strain put on farm families by an outbreak of TB and I am committed to driving down TB rates across the country.
The table below details the number of herds experiencing a new restriction, due to bovine TB, since 1st January each year, by county over the past 10 years to date and the number of reactors related to these restrictions.
While TB disease is low relative to historical levels, the number of new restrictions and reactor numbers have been gradually increasing since 2016. Although the pace of deterioration accelerated in 2020, there are encouraging signs as the current 12-month rolling herd incidence at 29th August 2021 is 4.16% compared to 4.22% on 30th August 2020. The overall number of new herds restricted at 29th August 2021 is 2,879 compared to 3,033 on 30th August 2020 while the overall number of reactors at 29th August 2021 is 13,092 compared to 14,431 on 30th August 2020. If downward momentum can be maintained, it can give a sense of progress achieved by the renewed TB Strategy launched in January 2021.
The reasons for increase in disease over the last number of years are multifactorial and often relate to a combination of national and local factors.
The expansion of the dairy herd since 2015 has played a role in this, since dairy herds, larger herds, farm fragmentation and herds which introduce more cattle are all more at risk of TB breakdowns. Wildlife is also a factor.
The causes for the outbreaks of TB cases across the country within each county are various and require a range of actions to address the problem.
Within each county the TB programme focuses on wildlife, how disease is distributed in the area, contiguous programmes, gamma interferon testing, cleansing and disinfection, testing compliance and frequency and isolation of reactors.
Each TB outbreak is investigated by a veterinary inspector to identify the source of infection. In the case of every outbreak involving two or more standard reactors, there is a veterinary visit to advise the herdowner on how to eliminate infection and necessary measures to assist in reducing the risk of recurrence.
number of herds experiencing a new restriction, due to bovine TB
