Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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378. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 260 of 14 February 2024, if he will acknowledge that the fox hunting codes of practice he referred to do nothing to eliminate the cruelty inherent in the blood sport. [8749/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Parliamentary Question No. 260 of 14 February 2024 outlined that, after a detailed debate was held around the general issue of hunting, during the passage of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, the Dail voted overwhelmingly to allow the continuation of fox hunting in accordance with an appropriate Code of Conduct.

In addition to the animal welfare safeguards outlined in my previous response, the Code prohibits the hunting of foxes where the animal is injured and advocates the humane disposal of a fox when captured.

The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 (the Act) specifically prohibits the hunting of animals which have been released in an injured, mutilated, or exhausted condition. Where a specific case of animal neglect or cruelty is identified, offences may be prosecuted under the Act.

I am satisfied with the instruments in place and my Department has no plans to change the existing legislation.

Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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379. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the total spent on the vaccination of badgers for tuberculosis by his Department in the past ten years in County Wicklow; how many vaccinations have been administered to the badger population in the same time period in the county; and what research has been caried out on the impact of vaccination as a means of dealing with the prevalence of tuberculosis in the badger population, in tabular form. [8821/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Please see the table below with regards to vaccinations in Wicklow from 2013 to 2023.

Regarding your query on the total spend on vaccination in County Wicklow over the ten year period, it would not be possible to accurately provide a county specific expenditure report due to the structure in place around the badger vaccination programme, the travel expenses, consumables and contractor costs can not be limited to Wicklow only.

I do want to reiterate that my Department is fully committed to the wildlife programme and in 2023 spent over €7.6 million euro expanding the vaccination of badgers, implementing the capture scheme as well as continuing the identification of setts across the country.

As part of the national TB Eradication Programme, there are numerous studies and research projects into the causes of TB in livestock. This work is undertaken to provide scientific information to inform policy decision-making.

All TB scientific research assignments undertaken as part of the TB Eradication Programme are carefully defined and driven by a specific TB-related research question.

My Department commissions various bodies to carry out TB research projects. The main body that is commissioned by my Department is University College Dublin's Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis (UCD CVERA) which conducts research for the control and eradication of regulatory animal diseases, which includes the national TB Eradication Programme.

Badger vaccination is now an integral part of the Irish TB Eradication Programme. This follows over 15 years of research work using BCG vaccine to prevent tuberculosis infection in badgers, and scientific trials carried out between 2013 and 2017 that show that vaccination is no less effective than culling.

Badger vaccination is thus being substituted for continued culling of badgers such that a significant reduction in the numbers of badgers culled can be achieved over the coming years while still maintaining effective control of the risk posed to cattle.

I am committed to reducing TB incidence rates across the country. There is a terrible financial and emotional pain associated with a TB breakdown. We have made good strides since I launched the new TB Strategy in 2021 with all stakeholders working collectively and collegiately to reduce TB rates. We must keep this going with the ultimate aim of eradicating TB from the herd.