Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has said that he would be open to exploring research around a vaccine for TB.

The Minister was speaking at an Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) Farming for Food conference on Thursday at the Curragh where the issue of TB was raised a number of times.

IFA president Francie Gorman stressed how TB is "breaking" farmers across the country and argued that a vaccine needs to be made.

"I don't think that any of us ever thought that we'd end up in a situation we have today in terms of TB. We've been doing the same thing for the last 60 years and getting the same result. It's about wildlife density reduction.

Narrative

"The narrative is being put out there by some people that the issue is at farm level, that it's transferred from one animal to another.

"The problem is wildlife and it's not being addressed. We also need, down the road, to prepare ourselves and look immediately at the possibility of a vaccine.

"There is work being done on it in England, I've spoken to a number of major meat processors - they're not even sure of how it will impact on their ability to sell their meat.

"We need to get around the table and examine if we were in the position to vaccinate in the morning, what issues that would have on our ability to live export, on our ability to sell our meat," Gorman said.

In response, Minister McConalogue said that if there is potential in producing a vaccine, it needs to be explored to the nth degree.