Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I recently met with the TB forum. The next meeting of the financial working group is on 21 July. That will be attended by officials from my Department and representatives of the farming organisations. The group has held five meetings this year so I look forward to it completing its work. It was the TB forum that was set up 16 months ago and it has a number of working groups under it. It was very important to come together and work to one strategy. I acknowledge the work of all key stakeholders. It is only through everyone working together and everyone recognising the importance of following the scientific advice here that we can bring down TB rates and reduce the hardship involved for families as well as the cost impact for them.

The current animal ceiling under the on-farm market value scheme is €3,000 in respect of an individual bovine, except in the case of a stock bull where the ceiling is €4,000 or a pedigree stock bull in the same breakdown episode which has a ceiling of €5,000. However, it is all being considered by the financial working group.

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