Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I question the conclusion about the building blocks being put in place and the prediction that there will be a lower disease level. I look at my own part of the world, that is, south Cork and south-west Cork. I argue that we are on the verge of an epidemic of TB in the next few months there. Cattle will be housed within the next few days. There are exceptionally high levels of TB at that moment in that part of the world. When they are housed, the potential for the disease to spread through the herds is quite obvious. I know from my own experience on our farm that when cattle go in with a high level of TB and when we do our TB tests, we have chaos. What could happen here next January, February and March is something we will never again see. I genuinely think we are at epidemic levels in our part of the world.

I compliment the staff we have in Clonakilty. Ed Myers and his team are doing an amazing job there and they are dealing with huge outbreaks and vast numbers.

The days of going into a farmyard and having one or two reactors is gone. There are now multiples. It could be 24, 25 or 52. The number we are dealing with are unheard of. The level of infection in the community is at the highest level I have ever seen in my part of the world. The majority if not all of these herds are closed herds. That is an issue where the movement of animals is going to have an effect. I do not know if it will. These are dairy herds in particular. Some 70% of the national herd comprises dairy herds with animals that have been found to have TB. I have a great worry about what will happen.

I want to raise a number of issues with the officials. What is the logic in having doubtfuls in the system? Why do we have TB tests for doubtfuls every six months after they are doubtful? That is the logic we have in the system. Were one to get rid of the doubtful, one would have to dispose but one cannot go through mart. There is then a knock-on implication that there is a value loss as a consequence. I do not understand why we have doubtfuls. This is coming from a farmer who has had doubtfuls. I have been involved in a TB test scenario where every six months we were TB testing the animal. When I realised that an animal was doubtful, I moved it on very quickly. Have we a pattern or policy for what we will do with the doubtfuls in our herds? It should be pass or fail. The farmer needs to have a financial reward if there is a fail. Otherwise, he will be caught in the middle and he is going nowhere. That issue has to be looked at.

On the wildlife issue, Dr. Barrett said the budget stalled. We have heard that there are not enough wildlife officers on the ground and that we are looking at a scenario where farm-relief services are involved and Department staff are not available. We have heard that there may be eight wildlife officers missing nationally. How many gaps are in the service and where are those gaps? We need to know where the gaps in the service are.

On the potential for farmers' animals to go down next January, February and March, they will be stuck in a scenario where they have calves they cannot move. The percentage of those calves which will go down at 42 days is very limited. One might argue how can they get the infection unless they are getting the milk. If they are getting the milk, maybe there is a way around this. The welfare issue for the farmer and for the animals in a herd that is potentially locked up in springtime is enormous. It is frightening. I was there three years ago, and we still talk about it. We did not sell a calf until 2 July. It was chaotic. We got through that period, but it cost us a fortune. We need a solution for it. We have nobody who will take a Friesian bull calf. Therefore there are two options: one rears that animal or one does the disastrous job which is to slaughter the animal, which none of us wants to do as farmers. We have to find a solution for the 42-day-old calf. We have to see a proposal because the only avenues are to rear it or it will be slaughtered. We do not slaughter them. The stress caused by that is frightening.

Take the high-incidence herd that the Department is saying could be the issue we need to look at. If a herd is then categorised as being high incidence, there is a financial impact immediately in respect of that herd. How will we then deal with that herd? Look at my part of the world. If you go to Ballinhassig, Barryroe, Caheragh or Drimoleague vast herds are all locked up. Parishes are locked up. We are potentially saying that trading from parishes could be stopped if that was to happen. How can that happen and what could the solution be?

On the badger population, one veterinary surgeon told me last week that we have a housing issue in respect of badgers because there are so many there at the moment. Instead of having two to a sett, there are seven or eight. That is one of the key issues. We have such large numbers in some areas. Has the vaccination programme increased the number of badgers and, in turn, also increased the volume of TB because there are not enough setts and there is not enough habitat? What have we considered around those issues?

The main issue here is the stress on the family farm and the farmer. I would also mention the stress on the vet coming into the yard and putting down 30, 40 or 50 animals. He goes back the next week and he has to look at that farmer. He has to deal with those issues. It is a tough game. We all know the suicide rate among vets. There are issues there as well. However, this entire thing is at epidemic levels in my part of the world. I am fearful of what will happen next January, February and March when animals are housed for six, eight or ten weeks when they are going in with levels of infection. The officials might correct me, but I am of the view that the levels of infection in south and west Cork are at an all-time high.