Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am very concerned about the livelihood of farmers and would love to see the eradication of TB and welcome the fact that it has declined. The points I make are scientific and backed up by research. The evidence shows that TB has declined for a number of reasons. For example, evidence from a 2015 survey by University College Dublin and indeed members of the Minister's Department describes very clearly instances in which a decline in cattle infection appeared to be directly correlated to badger culling, absolutely, but there were other examples where culling appeared to have little or no effect. In 2011, the Minister's Department found considerable, but not conclusive, evidence of this situation. The matters raised in the UK studies to which I referred come directly from the mouth of the vet who led the study. He said:

Badger culling can make no meaningful contribution to [cattle] control in Britain. Indeed some policies under consideration are likely to make matters worse rather than better.

They are his words. This is a scientific argument. The Minister's Department already agrees that we need to move to vaccination. I argue that should be done, moving mountains to do it as quickly as possible, because the badger population does not have the luxury of waiting.

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