Tuberculosis
15. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if her attention has been drawn to the research by a person (details supplied); and if she will recommend farm management changes and better hedgerow development to reduce the incidents of tuberculosis in cattle here. [18758/06]
Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mary Coughlan): My Department is aware of this recently published research that was carried out in the UK and its findings are being evaluated. It should be noted that this study rates to a small number of farms and therefore some caution is required in relation to the findings. My Department is currently considering running a similar study in Ireland.
As the Deputy will be aware, my Department operates a Rural Environment Protection Scheme which includes funding for farmers to conserve, maintain and enhance farm boundaries in the interest of stock control, bio-security, wildlife and scenic appearance of the area. My Department also encourages farmers to take bio-security measures, such as the placement of water troughs, against infection by badgers.
My Department implements a wildlife strategy, which involves the targeted removal of badgers, under licence, where they are implicated in an outbreak of TB. In addition, it is also committed to a research project with UCD on the development of a vaccine for use in badgers that would lead to a reduction in the level of infection in that species, thereby reducing the number of organisms being shed and subsequently the level of transmission to the cattle population. Work on this objective is progressing. However, any vaccine will not be available for wider use in the immediate future and the existing strategy will remain in place for some time.