Minister's TB proposals have 'little thought' of efficacy - Aontú
The proposals from Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon to tackle spiraling TB rates show "little thought of evidence of efficacy", Aontú has claimed.
The party said that the current government is "desperately trying to rush through ill-thought out proposals," which were put forward at an emergency TB stakeholder meeting last week.
Aontú senator Sarah O'Reilly said: "There seems to be an unholy rush to get this through and like anything that is put together without real evidence and thought, it’s not going to end well.
"I appreciate the minister is trying to move quickly on this, but it should not be implemented so quickly that farmers have barely a chance to critique and question the new proposals."
O'Reilly claimed that some organisations were invited to make proposals "but weren't invited to the forum", saying: "It looks like there was a bit of cherry-picking going on here."
"The Minister for Agriculture cannot talk about new proposals for eradication and leave farmers footing the bill without evidence that the new proposed measures will work," she added.
Aontú is calling on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to cover the cost to farmers of an increased TB testing regime.
The party said farmers are "incredibly worried" over suggestions of increased restrictions and what it claimed was the "blacklisting of herds".
"The reality is that the department is telling farmers they will have to further restrict their herds while also suggesting that they have special marked sales for 'high-risk' animals. This is a total contradiction," O'Reilly said.
"There will still be movement and the only difference is that farmers will be getting a much lower rate per animal," she added.
The senator continued: "Another shocking proposal includes the denial of compensation for farmers who buy or keep high-risk animals.
"The department seems intent on using the stick rather than a carrot approach when it comes to TB eradication.
"These proposals will do little to address the increase in reactor rates but will financially cripple farmers," she claimed.
According to O'Reilly, the minister "has a duty to ensure that the new proposals are entirely evidence-based and the priority needs to be protecting family farm incomes".
The issue of TB came up for discussion in the Dáil yesterday (Friday, May 15).
Sinn Féin Cavan-Monaghan TD Cathy Bennett said that funding from the EU to Ireland for TB eradication was decreasing "because the European Commission thinks the government's policy and programme is a failure".
"The government is out of ideas and falls on the old, burdening farmers with greater regulation to cover up its failures. No one wants to see TB eradicated more than the farmers who fear their herd will be breaking down in the next ten years," Bennet claimed.
She added that the government "needs to play its part and put in place a workable framework that actually delivers eradication".
Meanwhile, Independent Ireland TD for Cork South West TD Michael Collins said: "A lot of people have emailed and texted me to raise their concerns about naming and shaming. It has terrified some people who genuinely have been locked up and cannot help it. It is out of their hands."
