Written answers

Tuesday, 15 September 2020

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Animal Diseases

Photo of Cathal CroweCathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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892. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23881/20]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Herd Test History Statements and Reports issued to all cattle herdowners with the aim to help them to reduce the risk of Bovine TB in their herds.

The Bovine TB Forum Interim Report identified the need to provide more effective information to farmers to help them reduce the risk of TB in their herd and advocated for the development of herd risk categories that are “simple, clear, and convey sufficient information to enable farmers to make the decisions appropriate to their situation”. Against this background the Department developed individualised reports that provide a simplified TB herd risk category for farmers, with herd-specific advice on how to reduce risk of TB. All advice is based on scientific research and is consistent with advice that has been provided by the Department for several years in newsletters, videos, leaflets and other media. Farmers are already provided with information in relation to their TB risk, but this new report presents this in a very much more user friendly, detailed and practical form.

I have listened carefully to the concerns raised by some farmers following the issuance of these letters and am eager to schedule a TB Forum meeting shortly to further develop a shared understanding of how collectively we can reduce TB incidence. Separately, I understand some queries have been raised in respect of GDPR. The letters were designed to be in line with European and national legislation taking account of data that is already available to herdowners. My Department will engage fully with any data protection concerns that are raised in relation to the TB letters.

Following many successful years of reducing bovine TB levels to the benefit of Irish farmers, there has been a concerning incremental increase in the disease since 2016. This has continued in 2020 with further increases in herd incidence and reactor numbers observed. Herd incidence (on a 12-month rolling basis) has breached 4% for the first time since 2012 and reactor numbers have exceeded 20,000 - the highest number since 2009. These trends highlight the need for urgent action by all stakeholders to manage the risk more effectively across all transmission routes.

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