Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 403: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position in regard to bovine tuberculosis eradication with particular reference to the number of incidents in the past five years; the way in which this compares with other jurisdictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24984/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The current T.B. eradication programme has brought about a significant improvement in the incidence of bovine tuberculosis, as the following table shows:

There has been a steady decline in the numbers of TB reactors since 1999 when 44,900 reactors were identified compared with less than 26,000 in 2005. However, further progress towards final eradication is constrained, in particular, by the presence of a wildlife reservoir of infection. In this regard my Department operates an active wildlife programme, which involves the targeted removal of badgers where they are implicated in an outbreak of TB. My Department is also committed to a research project, with UCD, on the development of a vaccine, for use in badgers, which, if successfully developed, should contribute further to a significant reduction in the incidence of TB.

The incidence of the disease in the majority of other Member States is lower than in Ireland. This is due in large part to the extensive nature of livestock production in Ireland and presence of a wildlife reservoir of infection in the countryside, which significantly increases the likelihood of the transmission of TB to cattle.