Written answers
Thursday, 7 May 2015
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Tuberculosis Incidence
Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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85. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the level of tuberculosis outbreaks in County Wicklow since 1985, broken down by district electoral division, and in five-year intervals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17977/15]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The following table details the herd incidence for TB and the number of reactors in the Wicklow East and Wicklow West regions. It is not possible to provide a more detailed breakdown based on the district electoral division in the time available.
| Year | Wicklow East | Wicklow West | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reactors Numbers | Herd Incidence | Reactors Numbers | Herd Incidence | |
| 1985 | 353* | NA | NA | NA |
| 1990 | 382 | 5.98% | 287 | 6.62% |
| 1995 | 688 | 10.68% | 252 | 8.05% |
| 2000 | 562 | 9.21% | 398 | 12.17% |
| 2005 | 268 | 6.69% | 166 | 5.66% |
| 2010 | 833 | 15.72% | 85 | 4.81% |
| 2011 | 665 | 11.10% | 490 | 7.60% |
| 2012 | 724 | 10.64% | 226 | 9.64% |
| 2013 | 577 | 8.18% | 124 | 7.46% |
| 2014 | 1029 | 8.15% | 189 | 8.47% |
Levels of bovine TB have remained disappointingly high in Wicklow when compared with the progress achieved nationally, where herd incidence has declined annually in recent years and at the end of 2014 stood at 3.64% compared with 5.88% in 2008. My Department remains of the view that infection from wildlife, in particular badgers, remains a particular issue in the Wicklow area. For example, a recent study conducted in the Callary area detected a TB culture confirmation rate in badgers of over 26% which compares with a national rate of 13.3%. The level of TB found in badgers was also considerably higher than that found in deer in that area, where 4.8% of deer had visible lesions, with 15.5% culturing positive for TB. Strain typing with a view to establishing a clearer picture of the origin or transmission pathways for the infection as between the species is ongoing.
While my Department continues to implement a badger removal programme in Wicklow as it does in other relevant areas, responsibility for wild deer rests, under the Wildlife Acts, with the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. A non-statutory Irish Deer Management forum has recently been established with an independent chairman and includes representation from stakeholder groups, as well as the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. It is intended that results of the exercise conducted in Callary will initially be considered by the forum.
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