Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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454. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what the additional funding secured for the TB programme will be utilised for; if he will provide an update on additional staff being recruited or allocated to effectively implement the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52266/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Significant exchequer funding has been provided annually for the bovine TB eradication programme and the budget allocation of €56m for 2024 will ensure that my Department can continue to implement the policies necessary to reduce the burden of TB on Irish family farms affected by TB.

The development of policies for the bovine TB eradication programme will continue to be led by the TB Forum and its subgroups and I would very much like to see the Forum propose further policies in 2024 that can make significant inroads into the current levels of TB. It is important that we utilise the fool range of information and regulatory tools available to us to continue the fight against bovine TB.

Since September 2023 nineteen Technical Agricultural Officers have commenced employment with my Department. There are another 19 applicants currently waiting on start dates and to have contracts issued, while a further 40 applicants have been put into clearance. In addition to this there will be approximately another 30 candidates interviewed in December. These officers, will be placed across my Department, including the TB programme. Those offices working as part of the TB programme together with their veterinary and administrative colleague will form a key part in combatting the current levels of TB disease in the national herd.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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455. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on reports of additional controls being put in place and with regard to certain aspects of the TB programme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52267/23]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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456. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what supports are in place for farmers who have TB lockdown herds in their local area; the steps his Department is taking to ensure they are not negatively affected by such measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52268/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 455 and 456 together.

The implementation of the Bovine TB Eradication Strategy 2021-2030 is overseen by the Bovine TB Stakeholders Forum along with support from three working groups – a scientific group, an implementation group and a finance group to ensure that all aspects of the Strategy are addressed. The Bovine TB Stakeholders Forum and its working groups comprise of representatives from across the agri-food sector, leading researchers, farming organisations and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

The Scientific Working Groupis comprised of qualified personnel with a specific expertise on TB (e.g. experts with a record of scientific publication) or who are currently employed in scientific research organisations working on TB, and the group has four overall aspects to its role:

(a) Providing scientific opinions to the Forum in response to questions put to the group by the Forum on matters of science and research.

(b) Updating the Forum on scientific developments of relevance to the TB eradication programme.

(c) Providing opinions to the Forum about themes for further scientific research which can guide and inform DAFM research funding calls for TB issues.

(d) Independent scientific evaluation of the effectiveness of the programme, including an assessment of disease transmission risks and the extent to which those risks are mitigated by the programme.

The Scientific Working Group received a request from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to examine the potential effectiveness of using a regional approach to facilitate the eradication of TB in Ireland. If a regionalisation approach was to be adopted in Ireland one of the elements would involve different TB testing and cattle movement control strategies depending on TB levels within a specific region. The Scientific Working Group presented their findings on a regionalisation approach to the most recent TB Forum meeting held on 24th October 2023. The farming organisations accepted the broad principles of the report, but the general consensus was we need to tackle the measures nationally as opposed to a regional approach.

The Scientific Working Group report findings on a Regional Approach to TB eradication are available on www.bovinetb.ie gov.ie - TB Forum (www.gov.ie)www.gov.ie/en/collection/d6572-tb-forum/#scientific-working-group

There are no restrictions on the movement of cattle from areas where there may be outbreaks of TB other than those herds who are restricted.