Biosecurity incidents have the potential to devastate farm enterprises. Our farmers do their utmost, investing their own time and labour and complying with biosecurity restriction in order to best avoid outbreaks of TB, avian influenza or any other similar threats. Has the Minister examined if bluetongue can spread in deer? It is crucial to the State that he do so because wider outbreaks have the potential to devastate entire sectors. It is equally crucial that the State live up to its obligations and have in place a workable framework for farmers to allow them to succeed. In all instances, we should be tackling biosecurity on an all-island basis. To do otherwise would go against common sense, and that is clearly the case for bluetongue. There are a number of things we need to see from the Government. We need the Government to raise the issue at EU level so that animal health certification can be amended to reflect the fact the virus is in both jurisdictions on this island. We need to see the scaling up of testing so that we have an idea of where the virus is ahead of the warmer months. There is an absolute need to ensure adequate availability of vaccines and for the Government to partner with farmers in respect of the financial costs. The Government must put in place a workable framework and allow farmers to do what they need to do. That has not always been the case when it comes to biosecurity. When we look at the TB programme, for which farmers pay levies and contribute labour, the total value of their contribution is in the tens of millions per year, alongside more again in taxpayer funding. Yet, rather than having something to show for it, incidence rates continue to rise. The European Union has pulled funding from the eradication programme, having lost faith in the Government's ability to achieve reduced rates of TB. While the EU can lose faith in the Irish Government, take its money - or, more correctly, our money - and walk away, farmers facing TB breakdown cannot walk away. Those dealing with ash dieback cannot walk away. I ask the Minister to take on board these points and bring a renewed focus to his work on biosecurity more generally.

Sentiment score: 0.08