Mary White (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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Question 169: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the cost of bovine tuberculosis eradication per annum since 1997 under the general headings of administration, supplies and equipment and services, veterinary bills, reactor compensations and badger culling. [44597/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the programme cost of the TB eradication scheme, excluding administration costs and travel and subsistence costs, is set out in the following table:

With regard to the costs of administration of the programme, the information sought by the Deputy is not readily available for the period 1997-2007. However, the Value for Money and Policy review of the TB eradication scheme, which has just been published, calculated the costs of administration (including travel and subsistence) to be €33.8 million in 2006.

Mary White (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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Question 170: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will provide a comparative list of the number of reactor cattle in the Republic and in Northern Ireland since 1997; and if will provide these numbers as a quantity and percentage of total herds. [44598/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The level of disease in a region is best measured on the basis of the number of reactors, the herd incidence and the numbers of reactors per thousand animals tested (APT). The table sets out this information in relation to Ireland and Northern Ireland for the period 1997 to 2007.

I should point out that it is difficult to directly compare the incidence of TB here with that in Northern Ireland because of differences between the respective jurisdictions in the manner in which statistics are compiled. For example, in Northern Ireland, disease episodes first detected by means of post-mortem inspection are not included in TB statistics unless the follow-up herd test discloses further cases in the herd of origin. Cases detected by post-mortem inspection are, by contrast, included in the reporting of disease here, irrespective of the outcome of the subsequent herd test. Since over one third of all TB outbreaks here are first detected by means of post-mortem surveillance and, on average, some 80% of these fail to disclose further reactors during the course of that episode, it is evident that the herd incidence of bovine TB here would be much lower than the above figures suggest if they were compiled on the same basis as those in Northern Ireland.

Mary White (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)
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Question 171: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if a forum was established as recommended by his Department in the document Outlines of a New Approach to Tuberculosis and Brucellosis Eradication Programmes from 1996; and if so, the details of the subsequent reports of findings from this forum. [44599/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Forum, which was established in 1996, was a consultative body consisting of the major stakeholders in the animal health area and did not produce any report. The main function of the Forum was to achieve a consensus on the policy framework for the Department's approach to animal diseases and all of the major policy changes which were introduced into the TB and Brucellosis eradication schemes from 1996 onwards were the subject of discussion in the Forum prior to their implementation. Other issues which were discussed regularly in the Forum included the ERAD compensation regime, cattle identification and control of cattle movements. I am pleased to be able to say that the various changes that were introduced to the Brucellosis eradication programme from 1996 onwards and which have resulted in the virtual eradication of that disease in the country had the full support of the Forum.

The Forum has not met in recent years.