15. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the Cabinet committee that oversees agriculture. [8097/26]

Sentiment score: 0.00

Last week at the public accounts committee we heard that the Department of agriculture last year killed 7,735 badgers. It killed over 60,000 badgers in the course of the past decade even though they are supposedly a protected species. They are first trapped in snares causing internal organ damage, ruptured bladders and disembowelment. Pregnant and lactating badgers are killed leaving their cubs to starve to death. Snaring badgers is banned in Scotland and Wales. Two-thirds of people want it banned here. We are the only country in Europe which funds the large-scale slaughter of badgers. The truth is they are scapegoats for the spread of bovine TB. We have a programme that is killing more and more badgers yet the incidence rate goes up and up. It is over 66% at this stage. The EU refuses to fund this programme any more. It means the public is funding €100 million a year. Will the Taoiseach commit to end the mass slaughter of badgers? We need to move to 100% vaccination and have implementation of biosecurity measures to actually deal with the problem.

Sentiment score: -0.31

Badgers.

Sentiment score: 0.00

The bulk of it is not vaccination.

Sentiment score: 0.00

Most of it is not vaccination.

Sentiment score: 0.00

There were more killed than vaccinated last year.

Sentiment score: -0.70

31. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the Cabinet committee on children and education. [8098/26]

Sentiment score: 0.00