Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Murphy for his presentation. I wish to ask about the TB eradication programme. The questions are somewhat similar but from a slightly different perspective, given that the witnesses are very much the foot soldiers on the ground in regard to TB eradication. One issue concerns the average length of time for a reactor to be removed from a farm, which is about four weeks. That seems to be quite a long time. I would welcome the views of the witnesses in respect of that.

What is their view on vaccinations? Do they believe the vaccination of wildlife will work? How will it work? Is it a doable or sensible programme that can be applied in a uniform fashion across the country?

Reference was made in the presentation to the significant level of work done by veterinary practitioners in rural areas and for the farming community in general. That must be acknowledged. I remember Pat Gallagher in Mohill and Tim Mulligan in Arva and others who were characters in their own right in rural areas. They were people on whom there was a dependence in rural areas in difficult times and while they have been replaced by more modern veterinary practices, there is still a sense that people are dependent on their vet. If anything goes wrong on the farm, one lifts the phone and rings the vet and he or she is there. There is no messing.

A neighbour of mine said recently that he brought his dog to the vet and the dog got more tests done in half an hour than one would hope to get in three years in a hospital due to the waiting times. That type of service must be acknowledged. I share the fears outlined by the witnesses about the corporatisation of the service. We see that in other sectors also, for example, in the pharmacy sector. Boots and other chains of chemist shops have come into the market. I do not think that would be a positive development for the agricultural community. It would be very negative if the sector were to go down that route. I support the call made by the witnesses to ensure it does not happen. It is essential that we would maintain the type of relationship people in rural areas have with their veterinary practices.

Reference was made to veterinary work in factories and various other locations around the country. How do vets get those contracts? How does the system work? I have heard some annoyance from vets that they do not get as much work in factories as was the case previously. They feel that it is boxed off for some but not for everyone. I would welcome the views of the witnesses on how the system works in the various factories. Some younger vets might like to get a share of it but they do not seem to get it. Why is that? I would welcome if the witnesses could shed some light on that.

Going back to TB, I seek the views of the witnesses on the herds that are in the closed systems, where it is known they have TB and yet they are left there to be finished or brought to the factory without being traded outside of that. I would also like to get the views of the witnesses on the accuracy of the testing. More and more farmers are pointing to deer as a factor in the spread of TB. If animals go down in a test, the reactors are taken away and a couple of months later everything is okay but there are still deer in the vicinity that are not taken away. Are they maintaining the infection and spreading it?