David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

118. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on a proposal to restrict the sale of dairy cows in marts from herds that have had an outbreak of TB in the previous three years. [14097/25]

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I want to start by thanking the Minister for bringing together all of the parties to work out sensible solutions to eliminate TB on Irish farms.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue, which I know is of concern to his constituents in Cavan-Monaghan. On 8 May, I held a TB summit with key stakeholders where discussions were held on the most effective ways to mitigate the impact of bovine TB on farm families and reduce herd incidence and spread of the disease. The backdrop to this meeting was the need to address the deteriorating bovine TB disease levels. Herd incidence increased from 4.31% in 2022 to 6.04% in 2024, which was a 36% increase in the number of herds restricted. Over 6,000 farm families were affected by a TB outbreak in 2024.

At the summit, I presented 30 potential actions underpinned by five key pillars to address the current rates of bovine TB: first, to support herds free of bovine TB to remain free; second, to reduce the impact of wildlife on the spread of bovine TB; third, to detect and eliminate bovine TB infection as early as possible in herds with a TB breakdown and avoid a future breakdown; fourth, to help farmers improve all areas of on farm biosecurity; and fifth; to reduce the impact of known high-risk animals in spreading bovine TB.

As part of this engagement, a proposal to restrict the sale of certain cows from breeding herds of greater than 60 cows that have had an outbreak of TB with three or more standard reactors in the previous three years to other breeding herds was discussed. Only cows present as part of the milking group at the time of breakdown would have such a restriction imposed. This would not apply to calves or replacement animals in these herds if there were no reactors in those groups of animals. This proposal is aimed at ensuring residual or undetected infection does not enter into clear herds inadvertently through the sale of these high-risk animals. The risk of these animals having residual infection is highest in the first three years following a clear test, hence the necessity for ensuring these animals do not go on to transmit infection into clear herds. I will expand further in my supplementary response.

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Minister. Everyone agrees there is an urgent need to make major changes to the TB programme to try to get this disease back under control. We know that the Department and farmers have put forward plenty of proposals to address all sources of the disease and look at measures to mitigate its spread. Farmers are concerned that the risk-based trading ignores the most fundamental objective of stopping the spread of TB. The Department’s proposal does not stop TB spread. It merely compounds the losses for farmers who, through no fault of their own, have had TB outbreaks and are just returning to some normality on their farms and trying to get themselves going well again. They feel this risk-based trading is a hindrance.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The engagement I had on this and all other proposed actions with the stakeholders will feed into the draft proposals to help contribute to a more effective programme that protects farmers and their families from this disease impacting their herds. I will meet the farm organisations again later this week to discuss updated proposals on foot of our discussions. This has been a deliberative process since February and we have been back and forth. I have listened and taken on board many of the points and concerns that the Deputy raised.

I hope to achieve a broad consensus on these proposals but there is an urgency and I intend to move quickly to refine the programme and ensure that the necessary steps are taken to reduce the impact of this disease on farmers and their families because I know how devastating it is. However, I must be clear. The science is very clear: there are three key contributors to the spread and escalation of bovine TB as we have seen in Ireland in recent years. One is wildlife, one is cattle-to-cattle transmission and one is the residual effect in herds that have had a significant breakdown. We must address all three issues in any final solution.

David Maxwell (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Our dairy industry is a critical part of rural Ireland and the production of milk is essential for our economy. In recent years, the number of farmers leaving the sector has risen. If this ban is put in place, it could be the final straw for some farmers to leave the sector where, through no fault of their own, they cannot trade in marts for three years because their herds are restricted. If this happens, who is going to compensate the farmer for the significant loss he or she could suffer?

We all understand that action is needed to tackle the scourge of TB but I ask the Minister to look again at this proposal and not end up putting farmers at the mercy of having to deal with a closed market for three years. It is not just about the financial loss for our farmers but also the emotional loss that can affect a farmer and his or her family when a herd goes down with TB.

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

It is extremely frightening to see a 36% increase in the number of herds restricted over a two-year period and the whole increase over the past five years. It is important that we do everything possible in the shortest time to reduce the numbers as well as the reasons they have increased so dramatically in such a short period. I know officials in the Department, the veterinary profession and farmers are working hard but everything possible must be done to deal with this issue in as short a time as possible. Over the next three to four years - it will take that time to reduce the numbers - everything must be thrown at it to ensure that the restrictions that need to be put in place to stop the spread of TB are put in place and fully complied with.

William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Before we go on, I would describe it as a drastic move to curb a farmer from selling his or her stock in a mart for up to three years. Does the Minister realise what he is doing to farmers, people like myself who get up every morning and work? There is no guarantee about this. We are talking about something that got worse and worse despite the money that was invested in the scheme. There is no guarantee that taking a draconian step like this would have any effects. This would be a stigma attached to farmers like myself where, at the end of the day, there is no guarantee that anything would change.

I want to know who came up with this idea. What scientific results has that person to prove that something like this will happen? It is like we are saying we will try this and it might work. Something like this would have a devastating effect on Irish farmers.

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

There are two key priorities for me. I know the emotional turmoil there is with having a reactor – the impact it has on families as well as the financial impact. The two clear priorities I have is to ensure that those farmers and farm families that are currently affected or will be affected in the future by a bovine TB breakdown have a clear pathway out of that and that we ensure that fewer are affected in future. The scale of the challenge at the minute is significant and deteriorating, so it cannot be business as usual. In the whole of 2020, my Department spent €20 million on compensation for farmers who had reactors and breakdowns. We spent €20 million compensating farmers in the first four months of this year. That is the trajectory we are dealing with, so it cannot be business as usual, but I guarantee that any measures adopted are based on the best scientific and veterinary advice. Through strong leadership by all involved in the programme and by working together, we can bring in the necessary measures, as Deputy Burke outlined, that will make a meaningful difference, stop this infection increasing and drive down its spread greatly so that we can get back to credibly talking about eradication again.