Results 461-480 of 1,995 for speaker:Joe Flaherty

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: It is not going to save farming anyway.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Reference was made to Lord Hamilton again. I imagine much of the activity on his estate is hunting tourism. Professional hunters would be accompanying people.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: It is not anymore.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: I have a question for Dr. Barrett on badgers. Roughly how much does each vaccination cost per badger?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: It is costing €300 per badger.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: It is not just for the vaccine but for everything involved. It is still €300 per badger though.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: What is the life expectancy of a badger?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: At the moment, we are vaccinating about a quarter of the population. Is that where we are at, typically?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: If the lifespan of a badger is four to five years, is it the case that there is never going to be an effective vaccination programme because we are never going to catch up with them?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: It is going to weigh in with each generation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: That is what I mean. We are going to vaccinate badgers this year but the reality is that within four to five years, those animals will be gone.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Okay. We had the ICBF before the committee earlier. There is a bit of disquiet concerning the emphasis it has in its new indexes in respect of TB. Is it possible to breed TB out of cattle?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Yes. It would be sorted.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: On a scale from one to ten, where would Dr. Barrett say the progeny errors rank? Obviously, we have aspects to consider such as the deer, the badgers, better herd management and all those things. About six or seven key points were mentioned in this regard. If Dr. Barrett were to rank these items from one to ten, how important would the progeny factor be?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Regarding where we are with TB, we have probably had a marginal increase in recent years. A case could be made that this is as good as it is ever going to be. At the same time, we have huge sympathy for farmers who have their herds closed down. Is it not to the detriment of the dairy and beef industries to prioritise the genetics of TB over the genetics of better stock?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: I value the opinion of a vet more than a geneticist.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Eradication of TB: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: Well Dr. Barrett did very well. I thank him.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (12 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: 222. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason a driver (details supplied) has been left waiting 13 months to be called for his tractor driving test. [55075/23]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Customs and Excise (12 Dec 2023)

Joe Flaherty: 248. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will examine the removal of excise from HVO or hydrogenated vegetable oil fuel, given it has 90% reduced emissions and would be transformative if used in fleet operations especially. [54874/23]