Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I take on board the Senator's points in this regard. The principle the Minister is pursuing is the eradication of the disease once and for all, which would mean no requirement for compensation in the future. It has been a long journey, with plateaus and periods of stagnation. There is a problem at the moment, albeit the rate of incidences is much lower than it was in the past. Our objective is to eliminate the disease for good. I accept the Senator's point regarding the need for fairness and a relative spread of the compensation. I will convey his concerns to the Minister for his consideration.