Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 853: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food her plans to introduce a badger tuberculosis vaccination trial; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24580/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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While the existing wildlife strategy has contributed to a reduction in the incidence of bovine TB, it is accepted that the development of a vaccine for badgers is as a prerequisite if eradication of tuberculosis from the cattle population is to be achieved. In view of this, drawing on the latest national and international developments in immunology and molecular biology, a badger vaccine research group based at the Department of Large Animal Clinical Studies, Veterinary College, University College Dublin, in conjunction with colleagues in the Department of Zoology, University College Cork and Trinity College, Dublin, is progressing an ambitious programme to develop a vaccine to protect badgers from tuberculosis.

The objective is to secure an orally delivered preparation of BCG vaccine for use in badgers that will result in lower TB levels in that species. With this in mind, a large scale field trial of BCG in badgers is planned to commence during mid to late 2006 to test the efficacy of the vaccine, as testing carried out to date under experimental conditions have shown encouraging results. However, any vaccine will not be available for wider use in the immediate future and the existing strategy will remain in place for some time.