Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has been called on to immediately reconvene the TB forum and chair the meeting himself by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA).

The TB risk letter “debacle” was a sign of how the forum, set up to allow consultation between all stakeholders, has been derailed, ICSA animal health chair Hugh Farrell said.

“It is now essential that Minister McConalogue gets to grips with the TB programme which is at risk of losing all support from farmers,” he warned.

Defended

On Monday, the Department issued a statement defending the letters, stating farmers did not have to act on the letters and that risk categories had been a recommendation of the forum.

“It is absurd that the Department now maintains that these letters do not require farmers to do anything when the letter clearly advises farmers to cull cattle,” Farrell said.

“It is obvious the Department know they are on thin ice because their actions go so far beyond what was even discussed, let alone agreed to at the forum.”

The breakdown in TB policy between farmers and officials now needed urgent ministerial intervention, Farrell believed.

Breakdown

“This is down to the fact that most of the proposals from farmer representatives have been ignored, whereas department officials are driving on with dubious actions such as explicit herd categorisation which had been categorically rejected at the forum.”

He contrasted the implementation of the letter with what he claimed was the Department’s failure to live up to commitments.

“Even though it was agreed that reactors would always be removed within seven days of agreed valuation, we are still getting reports that this target is not being met consistently. We have also heard of cases of reactor calves being put down on farms by the knackery services, a practice that has been highlighted in the past by ICSA, and which again is something that must not happen.”

Complaints

There were also complaints about how inconclusive results are dealt with, Farrell said.

“ICSA does not accept that an animal that has subsequently passed one or more tests can still be regarded as inconclusive. Likewise, it does not inspire confidence in testing if we are now being told that an animal that is consistently testing clear should be culled because once upon a time, it was in a herd where there was a reactor,” he said.

There was also frustrations with the wildlife programme with action needed on deer as well as a revised badger culling and testing regime, he concluded.

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