Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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285. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when additional measures will be implemented to address the outbreaks of bovine tuberculosis in parts of County Tipperary; if there are sufficient personnel in the district veterinary offices at present dealing with disease-control issues; to confirm that the ongoing testing of badgers and wild deer will continue for the reminder of the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42213/24]

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 of representatives from across the agrifood 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 in parts of County Tipperary and the other parts of the country. The measures will be agreed and implemented as soon as possible.

My Department like any Government Department provides appropriate resources within the normal budgetary parameters. The administrative, technical and veterinary personnel working on the TB programme in the Regional Veterinary Offices are fully committed to combating the current levels of TB disease in the national herd.

On the issue of wildlife, M. bovis was first detected in badgers in Ireland in 1974, although its significance was not fully understood at that stage. In the 1980’s, the East Offaly project provided evidence of the role of badgers in the epidemiology of TB. A large-scale trial over a five-year period from 1997 to 2002 in areas within Counties Donegal, Monaghan, Kilkenny, and Cork showed significant reductions (from two-fold to four-fold) in the incidence of TB in areas where badgers were removed relative to areas where badgers were not removed. In areas with high TB prevalence among cattle herds, the prevalence of TB among badgers has been reported as up to 36%, which compares to 14% among badgers in areas of low TB prevalence in cattle. It has also been established that there is a link between M.Bovis and wild deer in Co. Wicklow. Submissions to the Regional Veterinary Laboratory from other parts of the country show very low levels of M.Bovis in the wild deer population outside of Co. Wicklow. There is no evidence to suggest that M.Bovis is a significant issue in wild deer outside of Co. Wicklow, however, the evidence to show that badgers are a reservoir of M. bovis and are implicated in the transmission of TB is irrefutable.

Based on this evidence my Department established a wildlife programme to reduce the density of badgers in areas of high TB prevalence. However, it is acknowledged that culling on its own is not sustainable as a long-term measure, and a vaccination programme has also been integrated into the DAFM Wildlife Programme. Badger vaccination is now an integral part of the Irish TB Eradication Programme. This follows over 15 years of research work using BCG vaccine to prevent tuberculosis infection in badgers, and scientific trials carried out between 2013 and 2017 that show that vaccination is no less effective than culling. Badger vaccination is thus being substituted for continued culling of badgers such that a significant reduction in the numbers of badgers culled can be achieved over the coming years while still maintaining effective control of the risk posed to cattle. The large-scale roll-out of badger vaccination commenced in late 2019. Every year more and more of the countryside is designated as vaccination zones. This is reflected in the numbers of badgers captured for vaccination in these zones rising from an initial figure of 1,937 badgers in 2019, to 4,698 badgers in 2020. This figure rose again in 2021 to 6,586 badgers, with a further 7,244 badgers captured for vaccination in 2022. The year 2023 saw 14,524 badgers captured - 9,062 of these badgers were captured for vaccination and the remaining 5,462 were culled. 2024 to date has seen the programme continue to yield increased numbers with 8,699 badgers captured in all areas to date.

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 www.bovinetb.ie.