Victor Boyhan: Blue Tongue disease-free loss threatens trade
Victor Boyhan addressed Blue Tongue in a parliamentary statement, warning that Ireland has lost its disease-free status and that the development has serious trade ramifications. He pressed the minister for clarity on authorised vaccines, supply chains and immunity duration, and urged clear communication to farmers, consumers and veterinary practitioners.
Opening remarks and acknowledgements
He thanked the minister for facilitating statements and ongoing engagement, and paid tribute to the Chief Veterinary Officer and her team at Agriculture House. He described the Department of Agriculture as extremely busy and stressed the need for agility and capability in responding to the crisis.
Loss of disease-free status and trade impact
He said Ireland has now lost its disease-free status for Blue Tongue and highlighted the clear ramifications for trade, including live animal exports. He noted the minister had touched on renegotiation of the VHC and veterinary health measures to try to facilitate ongoing trade affected by the loss of freedom from Blue Tongue.
Cross-border breeding stock and sales disruption
He warned that cross-border trade in breeding stock between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland is effectively at a standstill, affecting major sales shows and the exchange of new bloodlines. He said commercial cattle and sheep are particularly exposed because they rely on genetic exchange and movement of highly valuable animals; he also noted the first confirmed case was back in January in 2024.
Vaccine availability and regulatory questions
He asked the minister to confirm which vaccines are currently authorised for use in the Republic, mentioning queries about BT V3 and vaccine availability, licensing and permission. He cited the Department of Agriculture's circular that the duration of immunity in vaccine specifications has "not being determined to date but trials are ongoing in other countries," and emphasised the importance of supply, consistency and choosing the right product for each flock or herd.
Communication, veterinary guidance and parliamentary follow-up
He urged clear, simple public messaging that Blue Tongue has no impact on human health and warned against scaremongering, praising work by Chagas while stressing the need for education and communication. He called for veterinary practitioners and stakeholders to be kept up to date on best practice and thanked the minister ahead of a more detailed Q&A at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agricultural Food and the Marine, noting Senator Daly and other senators are members of that committee.
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Firstly I want to welcome the Minister and I want to thank him for facilitating our statements on Blue Tongue today. I know you've had ongoing engagement and are continuing to do so. I think we actually may have submitted P&Qs to your office in the last few days in relation to this subject and I know you're committed to coming back to us. I want to thank you all for doing that. I also want to acknowledge the very significant and important role that our Chief Veterinary Officer within the department does. It's an amazing role. She's an amazing person who does the job and I'd ask you to convey that to her and her team in Agriculture House but also your staff. Agriculture, if anyone thought the Ministry of Agriculture was an easy one, the last few months have made it very clear it's a very, very busy department. One wants to be apt on their feet, shrewd and capable. So I wish you well. This is just another thing to land on your desk, Minister, and it's very much a challenge. I suppose in summary you've summed it all up. Ireland has now lost its disease-free status for blue tongue and this clearly has ramifications for trade and that must always be a concern to us all. So you touched on the renegotiation of the VHC, the veterinary health search to facilitate the ongoing trade which has been impacted with the loss of Ireland's free freedom from blue tongue including live animal exports. Now clearly we have a massive trade cross-border, major challenges. If there was ever a showcase of agriculture, Northern Ireland is an amazing place for anyone who is familiar or not that familiar with farming. So the Republic of Ireland has now been confirmed. It's the first case of blue tongue was back in January in 2024 but the cross-border trade for breeding stock is at a standstill now. We are effectively at a standstill between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland ahead of major sales shows as somebody else referred to and also in in terms of new blood lines that are now going to be shut down temporarily but at a particularly crucial time in terms of sales and pedigree and commercial cattle and sheep are particularly exposed as they rely on the genetic exchange and the cross-border sales and the movement of highly valuable animals and that's an impact on us also. I suppose Minister there's been a lot of talk about vaccinations and when you talk about animal health and consumption and food and we've talked about a great extent in the last few weeks, people are asking questions about the vaccines against for instance the BT V3 and its availability in Ireland and you might just touch on that the availability of what vaccines are actually available, are licensed and permitted and how the impact on of course our meat and the consumption. This is really a critical area of concern. Then we've got to ask about the supply chain of and the consistency in relation to the vaccinations and what's the right choice for the flock in particular herd and again what is the advice there. I mean Chagas has done a certain amount of work in this area and they and I want to say too I think it's important Minister that we have Chagas I don't doubt our ability but they it's about education it's about communication and you're rightly when you say it's important that we get over the message about the blue tongue has no impact on human health. That's a very strong message that we need to get out there but there will be people, scaremongers, who will be saying that isn't true that's not we've got to follow the science but I believe you and I think that's an important message so the communication about how we handle this crisis in very simple language is really really critical and really important. So Minister you might confirm that what vaccines are currently authorised for use on animals in the Republic of Ireland. The Department of Agriculture said that the duration for the immunity period guaranteed in the specifications of a vaccine have and I quote from your circulars in the issues from your department have I quote not being determined to date but trials are ongoing in other countries so you might just please comment on that now I know that's an ever-moving and ever-evolving situation but we need to be up to speed on what is the status in relation to these vaccines so supply as I said to you of the vaccines was critically important what vaccines are licensed to be used here what have been approved what work has been done in relation to that because I think that's really important so Minister as I say the importance is also in keeping our veterinary practitioners and other relevant stakeholders up to speed in what's best practice and I think that's what's really important how we're going to communicate to the ordinary people how we're going to communicate to the consumer how we're going to create communicate with the farmers involved and also the challenges around that so look I want to thank you for coming to the house I want to thank you for facilitating statements and some engagement with you I want to thank you because I know we'll be a more detailed Q&A with you and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agricultural Food and the Marine and I know Senator Daly and other senators here are members of that committee so look I want to wish you well it is another challenge but I have no doubt we'll get over it thank you
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