Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 504: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will sample test deer in an effort to ascertain if such animals contribute to the spread of tuberculosis in the cattle herd; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11647/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Issues relating to wild deer are primarily the responsibility of the Parks and Wildlife Divisions of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. My Department does not operate an official programme for the eradication of tuberculosis in deer and therefore does not routinely test or sample deer herds for TB. It does, however, provide on-going advice to keepers on disease control measures and bio security in relation to wildlife, including deer. My Department also provides advice and assistance to farmers and their veterinary practitioners who may experience a TB problem in farmed deer.

However, when an outbreak of TB is identified in a cattle herd, an epidemiological investigation is carried out by my Department to identify the possible and probable sources of the infection and thus to provide relevant advice to the farmer. These investigations reveal that deer are very infrequently implicated in bovine TB outbreaks. Where epidemiological investigations indicate that the source of TB infection in bovines may be wild deer, staff from my Department liaise with personnel from the National Parks and Wildlife service with a view to taking samples from any wild deer that may be culled in the area. The National Parks and Wildlife Service routinely issue licences, under a number of different categories, to shoot deer. One particular licence category is available to a farmer who suspects that deer are spreading disease to his livestock herd. I understand that one of the conditions applicable to such a licence is that all animals shot under the licence must have a post-mortem. My Department supports such licence applications by farmers and examines relevant post-mortem samples for TB. It is my Department's experience that the National Parks and Wildlife Service is very supportive to farmers making licence applications in this category.