A group of farmers experiencing serious breakdowns of TB cannot request a badger cull in their area.

Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed encouraged any such groups to instead contact their local regional veterinary office (RVO) and ensure an investigation by the state veterinarian had commenced.

Parliamentary question

The Minister was responding to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fail’s Charlie McConalogue, who enquired if it was possible for farmers to seek a badger cull in localities experiencing a high instance of TB outbreaks.

Minister Creed outlined that, since 2002, a system has been in place whereby any serious TB breakdown is investigated by the Department.

A TB breakdown is deemed serious where there are three or more skin test reactors.

Removal programme

If an inspection establishes that badgers introduced the infection, a survey is triggered in the area beside the diseased herd for signs of badger activity.

Once badger sett locations are identified, a targeted removal programme of badgers follows.

These involve the trapping and removal of badgers within a 2km radius of the affected farm to reduce local badger densities.

Some 6,000 badgers are culled every year as part of the TB eradication programme, with a further 1,000 vaccinated against TB.