Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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114. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when additional measures will be implemented to address the outbreak of bovine TB in parts of the country; if there are sufficient personnel in all district veterinary offices to deal with disease-control issues; if he will ensure compensation payments are issued without delay to affected herdowners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45425/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The implementation of the Bovine TB Eradication Strategy 2021-2030 is overseen by the Bovine TB Stakeholders Forum along with support from three working groups – a Scientific group, an Implementation Working Group and a Finance Group to ensure all aspects of the Strategy are addressed. The Bovine TB Stakeholders Forum and its working groups comprise representatives from across the agri-food sector, leading researchers, farming organisations and my Department. I am confident that the work of this Forum will result in the necessary measures to address the current high levels of TB will be agreed and implemented as soon as possible.

My Department like any Government Department manages its resourcing within budgetary constraints, and it remains committed to continuing to do this throughout 2024. The relevant administrative, technical and veterinary personnel working on the TB programme in the Regional Veterinary Offices are fully committed to combatting the current levels of TB disease in the national herd.

My Department is committed to making payments within specified timeframes as agreed in the Farmers Charter of Rights. To date in 2024, 82.3% of all compensation measures have been paid within these agreed timeframes.

Where issues such as discrepancies, tax or inheritance queries arise that prevent my Department from finalising payments, my officials work closely with those herdowners or their legal representatives to ensure that outstanding issues are resolved in a timely manner. Additionally, my Department recently wrote to over 1,800 herdowners who may be due balancing payments under the Income Supplement Scheme regarding the enhanced rates that were introduced by my Department in 2023. Due to the complexity of incorporating the changes while herds were in breakdowns and to ensure continued financial supports, some herdowners were paid the existing Income Supplement rates throughout the transition. Any additional monies due will be paid in the coming weeks.

I am committed to reducing TB incidence rates across the country. Since I launched the TB Strategy in 2021 stakeholders have been working collectively to reduce TB rates. We must keep this going with the ultimate aim of eradicating TB from the herd.

The details of the TB Strategy along with details of TB Forum and working groups are available on .