Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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865. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will engage with farmers to develop an agreed programme that achieves eradication of tuberculosis and reduce the burden of controls on farmers; if he will review the decisions made in the past number of weeks in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24725/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I have scheduled the next meeting of the TB Forum to take place on the 1st of October, the purpose of which is to further develop a shared understanding of how collectively we can reduce TB incidence.

In line with a proposal from the TB Forum, my Department recently developed individualised reports that provide a simplified TB herd risk category for farmers, with herd-specific advice on how to reduce risk of TB. 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. There are no requirements whatsoever resulting from the recent TB letters. The objective of TB Herd Test History Statements and Reports that issued recently to all cattle herd owners is to help them to reduce the risk of Bovine TB in their herds.

Ireland has had many successful years of reducing bovine TB levels to the benefit of Irish farmers. However, 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.

Attaining TB-free status remains critical from a farm family profitability and sustainability perspective and from a trade perspective at national and at international level. I am acutely conscious that every TB restriction represents a significant challenge to the farm family concerned. I want to work with all stakeholders in ensuring fewer herdowners experience the challenges associated with a TB restriction and that we work purposefully towards eradication of this disease, thus eliminating this on-going cost on farmers and the State.