Department of Agriculture receipts from bovine diseases levies amounted to €6.52m in 2015, compared with €6.63m in 2014.
Bovine disease levies are collected by the Department under the Bovine Disease Levies Acts 1979 and 1996 and contribute to the compensation payable under the disease eradication programmes.
The current rates are 0.06c/L of milk processed and €1.27 for each animal slaughtered or exported.
The On-Farm Market Valuation Scheme is the main measure for compensating farmers for the removal of reactors. Other schemes such as Depopulation Grants, Income Supplement and Hardship Grants compensate for income losses due to restriction.
The Department spent approximately €13.4m during 2015 on all compensation elements of the TB Eradication and Brucellosis Monitoring Schemes.
Over 8.4m TB tests were carried out on cattle in 2015 while the round test for brucellosis was eliminated from the beginning of 2015 and pre-movement tests were abolished at the end of September 2015.
Prosecutions
The Investigation Division and the Regional Veterinary Offices continued their investigations of irregularities in the Bovine TB, Brucellosis Eradication schemes and Bovine Identification and Registration regulations.
Resulting from those investigations, there were five successful prosecutions during 2015, this compares to five successful prosecutions in 2014 and seven in 2013.
During 2015, eight new cases were submitted to the Chief State Solicitors’ Office for prosecution.
Fallen Animals
The Department provides financial support for the collection of certain fallen animals, in particular bovines over 48 months of age, numbering approximately 50,000 per annum, for sampling as required under the ongoing national BSE surveillance programme.
Selected numbers of sheep (20,000 annually) and smaller numbers of goats are also being tested for scrapie.
The Department has approved 39 knackeries under the ABP regulations for the proper disposal of fallen animals.