Mr. Michael Cronin:

I thank the Chairman for inviting me to present at this session of the Oireachtas committee.

In 2018, the Government approved a proposal from the then Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Mr. Michael Creed, to commit to the eradication of TB by 2030. The stated ambition of the Government at the time was to eradicate bovine TB from the national herd by 2030. This was a lofty goal, but one that all felt strongly would be a great achievement if it were possible.

Part of the Government's enhanced commitment to eradication of TB by 2030 involved the establishment of a TB stakeholder's forum tasked with proposing policies to help achieve eradication within the timeframe as outlined. I was appointed chairman of the forum at that time. The TB forum is made up of representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, farming organisations, the veterinary profession, the agrifood industry, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and the farming and research communities of UCD and Teagasc. We first met in September 2018 and we had three consultative papers that included governance, policy, and cost and benefits. These papers were put forward by the Department to inform the forum's initial deliberations. During 2019 and early 2020, we considered many options for strengthening the TB programme. The policy analysis papers informed the discussions we had during that period. The work of the forum in this period resulted in a series of recommendations, which were central to the development of the strategy document that was launched by the then Minister, Deputy McConalogue, in early 2021.

The Covid event of 2020 and 2021 delayed our work. However, huge efforts were made to produce the document at the time.

The proposals that were made to the forum and that were discussed included: provisions of biosecurity advice to farmers; integrated breakdown management and communication; risk-based categorisation of herds; enabling farmers to understand their own TB risk; high incidence action plans; increasing focus on high-risk herds; voluntary informed purchasing; mandatory informed purchasing; risk-based trading; supporting risk-lowering behaviours through incentives; and reducing risks posed by badgers and deer. Each of these proposals received considerable discussion over a number of meetings of the TB forum and the following ones were rejected: voluntary informed purchasing; mandatory informed purchasing; risk-based trading; and supporting risk-lowering behaviours through incentives.

The main elements of the strategy that was set out included working in partnership. The idea of the TB forum was that all stakeholders would work together to come up with strategies to support the goal of eradicating TB from the national herd. EU audits and research related to the TB programme highlighted a lack of stakeholder involvement as a key impediment to achieving eradication. Examples from other jurisdictions, that is, Australia and New Zealand, demonstrated the valuable contribution stakeholders could make to eradication efforts through formal collaborative structures. The TB forum was set up to ensure that the voices of all stakeholders would have a key influence in the TB programme.

The initial task of the forum was to bring forward proposals to develop the strategy. As part of the setting up of the strategy, the forum was supported by the setting up of three working groups: an implementation working group, which is chaired by Dr. Sean Brady; a financial working group chaired by Mr. Gerry Kiely; and a scientific working group, which is chaired by Dr. John Griffin.

Am I all right on time?