Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, MLA, and Minister for
Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, and have
today announced a new project by their Departments as part of the
Shared Island Initiative to tackle the growing impact of bovine
tuberculosis on farms in a pilot area.
In welcoming the initiative, Minister Muir said: “Some of
the most difficult conversations I have had since coming into
post last year have been with those farmers whose herds are down
with bovine TB. The economic impact along with the emotional
and mental health stress TB breakdowns place on farm families
highlight the importance of working together as we maximise our
efforts to tackle this costly disease.”
Minister Heydon added: “In my Department's recently published TB
Action Plan, we noted the need for continued collaboration
between DAFM and DAERA to tackle a disease that affects cattle
farming across this island. I welcome this innovative new project
and look forward to working with Minister Muir to agree the
detail of this project in the weeks ahead.”
Both Departments will now engage in developing the overall
approach for the cooperation project which is to focus on
implementation of measures on a coordinated regional basis, to
support reduction of bovine TB incidence and transmission. The
project will be consistent with and contribute to DAFM's and
DAERA's overall policies and approach on working with farmers to
tackle bovine TB.
A further announcement on the detail of the project will take
place once this work is completed.
Notes to editors:
- In April, the TB Partnership Group's Bovine TB in Northern
Ireland: Blueprint for Eradication noted an action to develop and
pilot a regionalised approach for the implementation of novel
measures, including new partnership working, using the results as
a ‘proof of concept' for deploying any such measures on a country
wide basis. Rolling out measures on a regional basis will enable
to utilise resources more efficiently to assess the impact of the
interventions on subpopulations within that region.
- The Government of Ireland's Shared Island initiative is
working to deepen cooperation to address common challenges and
take up opportunities across the island of Ireland, working with
the Northern Ireland Executive and the British Government.
