Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I am acutely aware of the financial and emotional trauma associated with a TB breakdown and the associated hardship, as the Deputy said, for many farm families. TB disease levels in recent years have continued to increase. Over a 12-month period, a herd incidence of 6.43% has been recorded, with more than 43,000 reactors. That is a serious deterioration in the situation which we cannot allow to continue. That is why the Minister, Deputy Heydon, met with all of the key stakeholders in recent weeks and held a further meeting with farming bodies. He wants to advance proposals to try to address this in partnership with farm families and farm organisations. I can ask him to send the Deputy some of the detail regarding the additional measures he proposes to take with regard to the bovine TB programme to try to tackle the current rates of TB, which is a serious issue across the farming community.

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