Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The focus of programme B is to promote and enhance the already high standards of food safety, consumer protection, animal health and welfare and plant health. A total allocation of €218 million has been made under this programme for 2016. The programme represents the country's key defences against animal and plant disease threats through the implementation of food and feed safety monitoring, inspection and control programmes at primary producer and processor levels and by promoting and enforcing enhanced animal and product identification to support food safety and animal health and welfare. It also contains the various animal and fish disease control and eradication programmes in order to make significant progress towards eradication of certain diseases, promote high animal welfare standards and secure compliance with regulations.

Significant progress has been made with regard to the costs associated with the TB and brucellosis eradication programme in recent years. Required funding has fallen from €62.5 million in 2008 to €30.3 million in 2015. Within that figure the cost of the TB programme itself has fallen from €55 million to €30 million. The reduction in expenditure is largely due to the fact that the number of reactors fell by almost 50% between 2008 and 2015 from 29,900 to 15,200. The incidence of other animal diseases and associated costs has also generally seen a reduction. While these improvements are welcome, we cannot be complacent. This year, €218 million has been allocated to programme B, €83 million of which is directly related to food safety, animal health and welfare and plant health programmes.

In budget 2016, additional funding of €0.6 million has been provided to support the voluntary welfare organisations. This brings total funding for this area to €2.7 million for 2016, an increase of over 27%. In addition, funding of €2.8 million has been allocated to assist local authorities in reducing the incidence of horse abandonment and in advancing horse projects for urban and Traveller horse owners.