Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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228. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the manner in which the additional funding for the wildlife control programme is being allocated for spending; the number of staffing vacancies that exist within the programme; the roles that remain vacant; the measures being put in place to address these vacancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58324/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Wildlife Programme forms an integral part of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's (DAFM) Bovine TB Eradication Strategy.  Supported by scientific research, the current policy is to vaccinate badgers to prevent disease outbreaks and to cull badgers where necessary in response to outbreaks in areas where epidemiological investigations have demonstrated the link between badgers and TB breakdowns on cattle farms.

Funding for the wildlife programme will be used to procure services from Farm Relief Services (FRS), purchase additional equipment and continue the core work of vaccination and removal of badgers.

Currently there are 7.5 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) vacancies at the level of Technical Agricultural Officer (TAO) in Area Management Team (AMT) South Region (the southeast and southwest counties) and 6 FTE vacancies again at TAO level in AMT North Region (the northeast and northwest counties). In the short term DAFM has used locum tenens to try to ameliorate this position, and we are working on more long-term solutions with the Public Appointments Service to try to ensure there are adequate numbers of staff working on the Wildlife Programme.