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Farmers most likely to carry extra TB eradication costs  

€5.5 billion has been spent on tackling bovine TB since the early 1960s. Expand
Questioning: Matt Carthy Expand

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€5.5 billion has been spent on tackling bovine TB since the early 1960s.

€5.5 billion has been spent on tackling bovine TB since the early 1960s.

Questioning: Matt Carthy

Questioning: Matt Carthy

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€5.5 billion has been spent on tackling bovine TB since the early 1960s.

Ciaran Moran Twitter Email

It might be possible to levy others in the food chain to help pay for the TB eradication programme, but those costs, in the end, could be again passed on to farmers.

That’s according to Department of Agriculture secretary-general Brendan Gleeson, who said the programme is necessary for trade.

He was responding to questioning from Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy at a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee last week.

Questioning: Matt Carthy Expand

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Questioning: Matt Carthy

Questioning: Matt Carthy

Questioning: Matt Carthy

Carthy highlighted that the cost TB eradication programme in 2014 was €86 million and that 16,000 cases of TB were detected, while last year, the spend was €98m and 23,000 cases detected.

“Where this becomes more of a concern... is that the EU funding element of that decreased from €12m in 2014 to a little over €5m last year,” he said.

He pointed out that the associated costs involved in the programme being rolled out in factories with regard to Covid mechanisms are not being levied from processors.

However, he said that with the TB programme, a substantial levy is imposed on farmers.

Carthy questioned whether there is a need for a fundamental review of how the TB programme is financed.

Gleeson said €5.5bn had been spent on tackling bovine TB since the early 1960s.

“What the programme has done is keep TB at a much lower level than it was in the ’60s,” he said.

“The programme is a burden on farmers and it is a burden on taxpayers. If we are to reduce that burden, then we have to take the steps necessary to try and eradicate the disease.”

Gleeson said the Department is trying to work with farmers and agree a system on the measures needed to reduce disease levels.

“It certainly might be possible to levy other operators along the food chain.  

“Whether that levy would manifest itself in increased consumer prices or reduced prices to farmers is anybody’s guess,” he said.

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