Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for his words of welcome. I also thank the Senator for raising this issue which is of importance to me also as I come from a rural constituency. I am presenting the reply on behalf of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine who cannot be here and sends his apologies.

The bovine TB eradication programme has been in place in Ireland since the mid-1950s when TB levels were extremely high in the cattle population. It is estimated that approximately 17% of cattle were infected. Rapid progress was made in the early stages of the programme. However, progress stalled in the 1970s and 1980s. Following a comprehensive programme to tackle wildlife since 2000, there have been significant reductions in TB levels in cattle. Herd incidence, possibly the most accurate reflection of trends, has reduced from 5.88% in 2008 to 3.4% at present. The positive downward trend previously observed in disease incidence has not been evident in the past three to four years. prompting concern among all stakeholders. Getting TB levels to historically low levels was hard earned and a testament to the efforts of all involved in TB eradication, from herdowners and vets to officials in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Recent trends indicate that the current eradication measures have achieved as much as they can and herd incidence rates have stagnated. With a view to reinvigorating the TB programme and moving towards the elimination of the disease, the Minister has set the target to eradicate TB by 2030. The achievement of this objective will require considerable effort and a commitment from all stakeholders to put in place the necessary control measures. In view of this, last year, under Food Wise 2025, the Minister established a TB forum - it represents all stakeholders - with a view to providing strong, co-ordinated leadership in support of the Department's team in achieving the eradication target. The focus is now on the development of a renewed TB eradication strategy. The strategy will take the TB forum's report into account and it will be the roadmap to drive down TB levels in the coming years, protect cattle from infection and farmers and farm families from the stress and difficulty of a TB breakdown. The Minister plans to launch the renewed TB strategy in the coming months.

The direct cost of the TB eradication plan was almost €91 million in 2018. It comprised a contribution of €35 million from herdowners, while a sum of €46 million was funded by the Exchequer, with the balance of €10 million coming from the European Union. These figures further support the case for intensifying our collective endeavours to eliminate the disease. Those unfortunate enough to have their herd infected and restricted at any given time will no longer have to bear that burden once eradication is achieved. The entire population of herds that bear the risk of contracting the disease, the additional supply chain costs resulting from its

presence in the national herd and part of the cost of funding an eradication programme will benefit.

Under the TB programme, there is a comprehensive compensation regime in place for herdowners whose cattle are affected by bovine TB. The measures acknowledge the difficulty and stress of a TB breakdown and are intended to assist herdowners during a period of restrictions. The regime is not intended to compensate a herdowner for all of his or her losses, but it is among the most supportive when compared with schemes in other jurisdictions. In 2016, the Department concluded a lengthy consultation process on improvements to the compensation regime. A significant majority of the additional costs of those improvements were borne by the taxpayer. The changes included an extension of the hardship grant to dairy herds, the extension of the income supplement threshold to dairy herds that lose at least 10% of dairy cows, the removal of the 100-animal limit for income supplement eligibility, and an increase in the rate of supplement for dairy cows from €25.39 to €55 per cow per month. Following these amendments, expenditure on the supplementary support schemes grew by €1.7 million, an increase of 80% relative to 2015 even though disease levels have remained broadly stable.

It is clear that additional resources allocated to the TB programme must be focused on measures to reduce the incidence of the disease and the associated burdens on all farmers. The Department intends to invest in additional staff resources, particularly in the area of disease transmission from wildlife, the development of initiatives focusing on areas dealing with high levels of TB and engaging more closely with chronic herds.