Written answers

Wednesday, 18 April 2012

Department of Agriculture, Marine and Food

Animal Diseases

10:00 pm

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 1117: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review the changes to the tuberculosis eradication scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18545/12]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department has introduced a number of changes recently into the bovine TB eradication scheme with a view to confining TB to the area/herd where it is first disclosed and to protect herdowners with clear herds from buying in infected animals. These measures were explained to and discussed with the farming organisations prior to their introduction.

It has long been recognised and research confirms that outbreaks of TB cluster within an area. With regard the new controls on the movement of animals out of herds which are contiguous to or neighbouring a herd experiencing an active high risk TB breakdown: in 2011, within the 8,014 herds tested under the contiguous test programme, the risk of disclosing TB was almost 3 times greater than the risk in the case of herds tested on a round test. In view of the fact that 2,256 test reactors were disclosed amongst the almost 800,000 animals tested in the contiguous herds, the risk of TB spreading from such herds is very significant.

In light of this evidence, my Department has decided that herds which (i) are contiguous to an active TB breakdown (high risk designation) (ii) are identified as epidemiologically relevant to the breakdown and (iii) which have not had a full herd test within the previous 4 months will be trade restricted pending a full herd test. Such herds are permitted to move cattle direct to slaughter and to buy-in cattle under permit. They will also be immediately de-restricted once they pass a TB herd test.

Prior to this change, herdowners which were contiguous to a high risk breakdown were permitted to move animals from their holdings pending the TB test. Many herdowners took advantage of this arrangement to sell on cattle which subsequently tested positive in the buyer's herd, thereby causing that herd to be restricted for a minimum period of 4-months.

I should also emphasise that the policy of my Department in relation to the identification of relevant contiguous herds has not changed and that each contiguous herd is assessed on its merits from an epidemiological perspective before determining its relevance for testing. The only difference in approach now is that any such herds which have not had a clear test within the previous 4 months must be tested before animals can be sold onto the open market. The choice of four months as the benchmark period against which to evaluate the necessity for a contiguous test is not a new criterion – this has been the parameter used heretofore. The four month period is not arbitrary but is related to the time interval from when an animal may be exposed to infection and the expectation that a test will give a positive result, if the animal is infected.

I am satisfied that the recent changes, which aim to confine disease to the area/herd where it is first disclosed and protect clear herds, will result in fewer herd restrictions and lead to a more effective TB eradication programme.

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