Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail any steps his Department is taking to eradicate the spread of tuberculosis among wildlife and livestock.
Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: My Department is making good progress across a range of measures as set out in the TB Partnership Steering Group’s (TBPSG) Bovine Tuberculosis in Northern Ireland: Blueprint for Eradication.
The Blueprint provides a roadmap across three key pillars Cattle, Wildlife and People to reduce the spread of bTB and support its eradication through a coordinated, evidence-based approach.
Working in collaboration with the TBPSG, DAERA has increased supplementary interferon gamma (IFNg) testing in breakdown herds, launched a major cross-border regionalisation research pilot with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the Republic of Ireland, and provided farmers with information on the risks posed by cattle that previously recorded inconclusive skin test results.
In addition, a public consultation on Potential Wildlife Intervention Options has now been published. This consultation is a key component of the Blueprint and reflects the recognition that wildlife intervention, alongside cattle and people measures, is required to address disease transmission and persistence effectively and reduce bTB incidence.
Work is also continuing at pace to implement other priority measures including the introduction of pre/post movement testing, enhanced access for farmers to departmental data on their herds’ bTB history, revised criteria for the establishment of alternative control herds, and the development of a framework for the mandatory use of IFNg testing. In addition, a procurement exercise to deliver an on-farm biosecurity advice service is also due to commence in the coming weeks.
ENDS
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