A Green Party TD has questioned the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine about state spending on tuberculosis (TB) vaccinations over the past decade.
In a parliamentary question (PQ), Wicklow TD Steven Matthews questioned Charlie McConalogue, about the spend.
The deputy also asked how many vaccinations have been administered to the badger population in Co. Wicklow and what research has been carried out on the impact of vaccination?
Minister McConalogue responded by stating that in 2023 over €7.6 million was spent to expand the vaccination of badgers and implementing the capture scheme.
The minister said that it would “not be possible” to provide a county-specific expenditure report due to the structure of the badger vaccination programme.
However, from 2019 to 2023 over 500 vaccinations of badgers in Co. Wicklow were carried out, according to statistics released by the minister.
McConalogue stated in his response to the PQ that he is committed to reducing TB rates:
“There is a terrible financial and emotional pain associated with a TB breakdown. We have made good strides since the new TB Strategy in 2021 with all stakeholders working collectively to reduce TB rates.
“We must keep this going with the ultimate aim of eradicating TB from the herd.”
Minister McConalogue said that the “main body” commissioned by his department is University College Dublin’s (UCD) Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis (CVERA).
CVERA conducts research on the control and the eradication of regulatory animal diseases, which includes the TB Eradication Programme.
He also said that they are using Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) vaccine to prevent TB infection in badgers but to also reduce the amount of badgers culled.
TB programme
Key figures under the bovine TB Eradication Programme saw increases in 2023, with the number of reactors and herd restrictions seeing notable increases on 2022.
Data released by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) showed that from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023 there was 28,868 TB test reactions detected in cattle.
This is an increase when compared to 2022 figures of 23,337.
On the same time period, 2023 saw 5,078 herds locked up with TB, compared to figures of 4,492 in 2022.
The wildlife control aspect of the eradication programme was up by 20% in 2022, as €6.4 million was spent in this area compared to 2023 when €7.6 million was spent.