Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Dr. Good for her presentation. Unlike Senator Lombard I have come across her. We must recognise we have significantly reduced the levels of TB. We are now at a juncture to take the next step to reduce it even more, but this will be very difficult. Take the example of Wicklow and the huge incidence of TB there. Some farmers have stopped keeping bovines in west Wicklow because they could not get a clear status. Suckler farmers had to try to sell off their young stock at the back end of the year and they found they were never clear of TB.

We have instances of TB in farm animals but there are also instances of it in wildlife. There was a bad outbreak near me in the past six weeks. Testing badgers is not automatic in a TB blackspot area. When there is a outbreak we must analyse its cause. In areas with a serious outbreak, where 80% or 85% of herds go down with TB, there must be automatic testing of badgers, and of deer if they are present. Unfortunately, deer have the ability to travel extreme distances. There must be analysis of how prevalent TB is in deer. We have seen some results in Wicklow where TB seems to be fairly endemic in the deer population. Obviously, they are infected by other wildlife. How much analysis has there been of the damage done by deer?

We have heard about the skin test and the blood test. Is it possible to do the two tests together or on the one day in a blackspot area, to take some pressure off the farmers?

We are at a point where TB has been reduced significantly. It sat in the middle 30s for a long time and we have reduced it significantly. To take the next step to get near to eradication, if that is possible, the focus on wildlife must increase. We have had proof that controlling TB in badgers has had a very positive effect on the level of TB in areas, but not near enough emphasis is being put on deer. In Wicklow tests on deer have shown they are infected. With the increase in forestry throughout the country, deer will make it extremely problematic to reach eradication.