Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the representatives from the various farm organisations for participating in today's meeting. TB is a very significant issue and can cause great financial hardship for families. I wish the organisations the very best of luck at the TB forum in getting an equitable solution to ensure fair play for farm families. It would be remiss of me not to say that we have reduced the number of reactors substantially over the last 20 years. The number of reactors was far higher 20 years ago than it is now. That is not to say anything about anybody who has the misfortune to experience a breakdown and the great financial hardship that entails. There can be loss of income in the years following. You lose your herd one year but there is cash flow with the animals leaving. It is in the second, third and fourth years, while trying to build the herd back up, that farm families can face really severe financial hardship. I thank the witnesses very much.

The next private meeting of the committee will take place at 3.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 22 February. The next public meeting will take place at 5.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 23 February, when the committee will be resuming post enactment scrutiny of the Animal Health and Welfare Act and examining the development of the hemp sector in Ireland.