Pat O'Neill (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. O'Flaherty for his presentation. I am alarmed only 50% of PIs have been removed from the herd. It was mentioned there will be screening for Johne's disease. How many herds does the group hope to screen to get an accurate indication of the problem in Ireland? The presentation on the four diseases outlined a budget of €338,000 on overall expenditure.

Are there any data in other countries for an IBR screening programme on the percentage drop in the disease once the programme started? On the BVD figures, where only 0.73% animals are showing up as persistently infected, are there any comparative figures from other countries that have screening programmes for IBR? Would it be cost effective to have a screening programme for this?