Mr. Pat McCormack:

Mr. Bourke talked about going from 44,000 down to 13,000. We are somewhere in excess of 20,000 now. What has happened in the meantime? Farmers have done their annual TB tests - often twice or three times a year - and have had positive animals removed. Whether it is 17% or 16% in Wicklow, those reactors, the positives in the deer herd, were not removed. Over that period, we have seen the environmental aspiration to continue to expand the forestry programme with pockets appearing in various parts of the country. Adjoining landowners have fallen foul of positive TB test results as a result of an increase in the deer population. I would have major concerns from a TB perspective if the wildlife herd is not tackled. By no means can we take our eye off badgers at this point. Certainly, we need a renewed focus on the growing population of deer and the likelihood that TB is spreading within those deer herds and passing on to the bovine herd.

As regards 60 or 70 years and the Covid vaccine, as I said earlier, we have an issue with our ability to export to foreign markets with a vaccination programme in TB among bovines. Deputy Ring mentioned vested interests in this regard. It is in farmers interest to eradicate TB. It gives us a greater opening to further markets as an exporting nation. It also reduces a farmer's stress with worrying about an animal in the neighbour's herd going down and the farmer having to test next week, or the stress of seeing a deer running through the place and wondering what the consequences might be. There is also the financial cost associated with TB, involving the herd test and the ability to remain compliant.

The prolonging of the TB campaign is not in the interest of the farmer; it is anything but. I say as a farm leader, the quicker it is eradicated the better.