NORTHERN IRELAND-
Dodds says major rethink needed on bovine TB handling
The DUP’s Diane Dodds has said the report by the Audit Office into DARD’s handling of bovine TB in Northern Ireland showed that a major rethink was required into how the disease is tackled here. And, she said the finger should not be pointed at private vets and, instead, that the DARD Minister, Michelle Gildernew should be doing some soul searching.
The Party’s European elections’ candidate was speaking following a visit to a beef farm.
She commented: "Bovine tuberculosis places an enormous burden onto the public purse every year in Northern Ireland. Not only are millions of pounds spent every year compensating farmers for the animals which are culled because of the disease, but the report by the Audit Office clearly shows that there is a massive cost associated with the testing regime here.
"It also adds enormous weight to the view which many farmers hold that there has been no real effort put in by DARD to eradicate this disease, and even that there is a vested interest amongst some DARD officials in actually maintaining a level of incidence of this disease across the Province."
Mrs Dodds said the DUP had been critical for some time of the attitude within DARD, ’to reduce this disease instead of eradicating it’.
"It has been shown from other examples across the world that the eradication of TB is possible where the effort and resources are put towards this. Given the huge amounts which are spent here every year on compensation, there is no doubt that a successful eradication plan would actually save the public purse in Northern Ireland tens of millions of pounds.
"The target should not be private vets rather the Department which has been unsuccessfully tackling this issue for years. The professionalism and integrity of our vets should not be called into question."
She submitted that the failings outlined in the Audit Office report showed the importance of a proper strategy in place to eradicate the disease here.
"That obviously includes not only agricultural livestock, but the reservoir which exists amongst wildlife. The Environment Minister, Sammy Wilson has cleared the way for a targeted badger cull which the Agriculture Minister must now take advantage of to remove infected badgers which are clearly harbouring this disease in some of the incidence ’hot-spots’ across Northern Ireland.
"The Minister (Ms Gildernew) must now step forward and move away from the failed policies which have been pursued by DARD for some years now. She must not simply be led by her Civil Servants but listen to the agricultural community and the scientific advice and then take some decisive action".
A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, asked for a comment on Mrs Dodds statement said it welcomed the NIAO Report and its recommendations.
"DARD will ensure that full account is taken of the NIAO recommendations as we develop the TB strategy.We look forward to seeing the PAC comments when they publish their Report in due course, but we cannot comment further at this stage. DARD also refutes any claims that it is not making very serious efforts to reduce the incidence of TB in NI."
In an earlier statement, DARD described Bovine TB as a very complex disease, ’one that continues to be one of the most challenging animal health problems we are facing’.
"The Department has committed significant resources to dealing with TB and have made considerable progress with TB in recent years since peak levels for the disease in 2002. The TB programme we have been implementing in recent years has been successful in reducing TB in cattle here.
"Importantly, it has supported trade in live cattle and products. Around 90% of herds in NI are able to participate fully in export trade because of the programme.
"The main focus of the NIAO report is the period from1994 to 2006. We have continued to make further progress with TB since that time. Over the past 8 years, the Department has also dealt successfully with the threat from serious exotic diseases, including Foot and Mouth Disease, Avian Flu and Bluetongue. The Department’s actions have successfully prevented disease spread to NI and within NI, and have protected the public purse and our export trade.
"The ultimate aspiration of the new strategic approach announced by the Minister in December is the eradication of TB. It is a holistic approach, based on addressing three key strands together – real partnership between government and industry, controlling the spread of TB between cattle, and addressing the wildlife factor. "
