Mr. Conor O'Mahony:

I thank the Cathaoirleach, Deputies and Senators for inviting the Department to appear before them. I am joined by Dr. Damien Barrett, senior superintending veterinary inspector and together we are responsible for development of policy regarding implementation of the TB eradication programme. We are also joined by Mr. Michael Cronin, chairman of the TB forum. We welcome the opportunity to appear before the committee to discuss the eradication of bovine TB.

The Department is aware of the financial and emotional stress associated with a TB breakdown on farmers and their families and is committed to the objectives of the current TB eradication programme, which aims to reduce and, ultimately, eradicate this disease in Ireland.

From time to time, a narrative develops that our objective should be to control TB due to the failure, thus far, to eradicate it. It is important to stress that, aside from our EU obligation to have an eradication programme and the importance of this programme to our export partners throughout the world, the actions we need to focus on and implement are the same whether the goal is to control or eradicate this disease.

Unfortunately, the prevailing disease situation has not improved in recent years despite the best combined efforts of the Department and its stakeholders. As of 8 June, almost 6,500 herds had suffered a TB breakdown in the previous 12 months compared to just over 5,200 in the same period last year. Data analysis suggests the reasons underpinning this are the expansion of the dairy herd, resulting in increased levels of intensive cattle farming, and the increased movement of cattle. These conditions are associated with heightened susceptibility to disease, whether that be TB or any other infectious disease. We have also seen a substantial increase in the number of reactors, with just under 43,000 reactors being disclosed in the past 12 months in comparison to just under 32,000 in the previous 12 months, an increase of 35%. In addition, almost 10 million individual animal tests were carried out in the 12-month period up to 8 June 2025 compared to approximately 9.9 million tests in the previous 12-month period.

Tuberculosis is a challenging disease to control and eradicate due to several factors and the relative contribution of each of these factors will vary from farm to farm. The factors include: movement of cattle with undetected infection; residual or leftover infection in cattle previously exposed to TB; the inherent limitations of the tests; a reservoir of disease in a protected species, namely the badger; and inadequate biosecurity practices.

It is important that farmers be empowered to make the best choices for their own circumstances to protect their cattle from TB. It is critical that they be given practical advice based on scientific research about how they can reduce their own TB risk as well as relevant, useful information about their own herds and farming practices so that they can make any management changes that may be necessary if they wish to avoid the costs and stress of a TB breakdown. This includes making informed decisions about the purchase of cattle and maintaining good overall herd health. The advice on how to reduce TB risk in a herd has remained generally consistent over many years and we continue to encourage farmers to act on it, utilising a broader range of communication tools. Stakeholder endorsement of this advice is hugely important in encouraging farmers to take proactive steps to reduce their own TB risk.

Although wildlife plays a role in the spread of TB, there are more significant risks, including bovine-to-bovine transmission and residual infection. Nonetheless, the Department's wildlife programme is a critical part of the TB programme and comprises a combination of vaccination and culling, depending on the area and prevailing disease situation in that area. Vaccinating badgers is an important component of the programme, reduces the transmission of TB within the badger population and thereby reduces transmission to cattle. This protects cattle and reduces losses to farmers while at the same time safeguarding a native protected Irish wild species. Scientific research carried out in Ireland over many years has demonstrated the effectiveness of badger vaccination. The culling of badgers is carried out in areas of high disease incidence as well as areas where the source of an outbreak is attributed to badgers.

Using a range of means, the Department provides information and advice on the practical steps farmers can take to reduce the risk from badgers, including social media posts, SMS texts, videos, leaflets and farmer meetings. By combining these practical farmer-led risk reduction actions with the policy of vaccination to prevent breakdowns and targeted licensed badger removal where necessary in response to spillover from badgers to cattle, we can greatly mitigate the risk of TB at the wildlife-cattle interface.

The Irish deer management strategy group was established to develop a strategy for the sustainable management of deer in Ireland and published its report in December 2023. Following a public procurement competition, Farm Relief Services was awarded a contract for the role of programme manager to implement the recommendations of this group. The programme manager will help deliver 15 local deer management units, which is a key recommendation of the deer management strategy group report aimed at tackling the impact of deer in the areas of the country most vulnerable to the impact of overgrazing of deer and the consequences of this across a range of issues.