DEAR EDITOR I read your article on the report into bovine TB (28 September 2024) where it has been suggested we need “expert advice”.

I have attended meetings for many years and have suggested that vaccination, starting in calves, is the only way to control bovine TB. You don’t need an “expert” to tell you this.

I would hesitate to imply that there could be a hidden agenda by those who wish to prolong the elimination of bovine TB but our farmers well know the fortunes that have been made at their expense, when your herd may be closed by bovine TB. There is only one market available in this instance.

I will point out that I have spoken to Brian Walker at numerous meetings co-ordinated by the Pedigree Cattle Trust and TB Eradication Partnership (which now seems to be terminated).

I have written to the chief vet, Brian Dooher who, incidentally has not replied to date, concerning vaccination.

I have asked questions at UFU meetings concerning why the organisation is not pressing for a vaccine but to no avail.

I have written to DAERA Minister Andrew Muir and had a “half-hearted” reply from one of his staff. No help there.

I have also contacted a few politicians for their thoughts but it would appear from their lack of response, that they are more interested in their salary than trying to save our country the cost (approx £60m per annum or € 72,276m) to the industry.

An old saying springs to mind, “there are none so deaf as those who do not want to hear.”

I write this letter from Northern Ireland and I appreciate that the south of Ireland has the same problem.

Talks of badger culls and badger vaccination have been ruled out, in many circumstances as being inefficient and we know it will never get past the “welfare lobby” who already have had the proposals quashed in the High Court.

Now the time has come for an all-Ireland approach as we are all in this together and the scourge of bovine TB affects every farmer on our island.

So let us see what our politicians and our respective Departments of Agriculture are made of.

We know there is a vaccine available, so let us get our calves vaccinated by our local vets this spring and within a few years, we would be rid of this terrible disease.

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”