Carol Nolan: Warns TB proposals risk placing burden on farmers
Carol Nolan raised urgent concerns about bovine TB and argued proposed measures risk placing the financial burden on farmers. She cited farming organisations and recent disease data, and called for farmers to be supported and brought into any new TB policy.
A recent tractor run attended by Carol Nolan raised funds for Roscamore National School, Coolderry National School and the local charity Living Links. Nolan emphasised that farmers are key in their communities and in the economy, and said public support for farm families is essential.
Nolan quoted farming representatives saying the proposed TB measures unfairly shift costs onto farmers. She referenced ICMSA Deputy President Eamon Carle saying the measures would place the TB burden on farmers and IFA Animal Health Chair TJ Maher describing the proposals as crude and financially punitive.
Nolan highlighted a worsening TB picture, noting disease levels have continued to increase. She cited figures over a 12-month period of 6.43 per cent and over 43,000 reactors, and stressed the financial and emotional trauma of TB breakdowns for many farm families.
Nolan said the minister has met with key stakeholders and farm bodies in recent weeks to advance proposals. She asked for details and offered to request that the minister send further information on the additional measures proposed for the bovine TB programme.
Fundraising and community context
A recent tractor run attended by Carol Nolan raised funds for Roscamore National School, Coolderry National School and the local charity Living Links. Nolan emphasised that farmers are key in their communities and in the economy, and said public support for farm families is essential.
Criticism from farming organisations
Nolan quoted farming representatives saying the proposed TB measures unfairly shift costs onto farmers. She referenced ICMSA Deputy President Eamon Carle saying the measures would place the TB burden on farmers and IFA Animal Health Chair TJ Maher describing the proposals as crude and financially punitive.
Disease trends and impact
Nolan highlighted a worsening TB picture, noting disease levels have continued to increase. She cited figures over a 12-month period of 6.43 per cent and over 43,000 reactors, and stressed the financial and emotional trauma of TB breakdowns for many farm families.
Government engagement and next steps
Nolan said the minister has met with key stakeholders and farm bodies in recent weeks to advance proposals. She asked for details and offered to request that the minister send further information on the additional measures proposed for the bovine TB programme.
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Transcript
Minister, I want to raise the whole issue of TB with you. I want to make the point also that farmers are key in our communities. They are also key in our economy. I attended a very successful tractor run just on Sunday, and just to see the numbers out there that were there fundraising for two local schools, Roscamore National School and Coolderry National School, and also a local charity called Living Links. There is huge concern around the TB proposals, and we do need to bring farmers with us. We do need to protect them. We do need to support them. I am just going to quote from some of our farming organisations who have expressed concern. I know that the likes of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers, ICMSA Deputy President Eamon Carle, has said that he believes that the proposed measures will involve all of the TB burden being placed on farmers. The IFA's Animal Health Chair, TJ Maher, has pointed out that the TB proposals are crude and that the financial burden will be laid at the feet of farmers. Do you accept the justified criticism? I am acutely aware of the financial and emotional trauma associated with a TB breakdown and the associated hardship for many farm families. TB disease levels in recent years have continued to increase. Over a 12-month period we have heard instances of 6.43 per cent with over 43,000 reactors. That is a serious deterioration in the situation which we cannot allow to continue. That is why Minister Hayden met with all of the key stakeholders in the last number of weeks and held a further meeting with farm bodies. He wants to advance proposals to try and address this in partnership with farm families and farm organisations and I can ask him to send you some of the detail around the additional measures he proposed to take around the bovine TB programme to try and tackle the current rates of TB which is a serious issue across the farming community.