Relevant Matter
Public policy or programme
Public Policy Area
Agriculture
Period
1 May, 2025 to 31 Aug, 2025
Specific Details
TB Forum
Intended results
To highlight that the escalation in TB incidence is causing enormous difficulties for farmers. There is an urgency in addressing the situation and a need for real leadership in taking the decisions that will have a positive impact on TB numbers and reduce the burden of this disease and associated controls on farms.
To highlight that IFA, on behalf of farmers has shown real leadership in compiling and publishing a comprehensive set of proposals, this has not been reciprocated the Minister or Department Officials.
That the TB Forum met on the 26th March last where the IFA presented, in detail, our proposed enhancements to the TB programme. These had been submitted to the Forum in advance of the 28th February deadline which was set by the Department of Agriculture.
To highlight that, at the TB Forum meeting Department officials committed to providing all stakeholders with the Minister's proposals and observations on each stakeholders' submissions. To-date IFA has not received these documents.
To request that the Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine would circulate the proposals he wishes to discuss at the TB Summit on Thursday next, well in advance of the meeting. As committed to at the Forum, this should include the rationale behind each proposal. In addition, as promised a Department of Agriculture observations on IFA's detailed submission on enhancements to the TB programme. It would be important to have these before next Thursday.
To stress that failure to provide this level of information well in advance of the meeting will not be conducive to productive engagement.
To highlight that the draft proposals circulated by the Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon in advance of today's ‘TB summit' still have some distance to travel to meet farmers' requirements, and what the TB programme needs, to reduce the levels of TB.
That a lot of the Minister's proposals would put extra costs on farmers. This includes the extension of restrictions and blacklisting of herds which places the burden on farmers who through no fault of their own are enduring TB outbreaks on their farms.
That IFA cannot allow poorly-thought out policies be imposed on farmers that will decimate family incomes and decades of breeding.
To highlight that there is an urgent need to make significant changes to the TB programme to get this disease back under control. IFA has put forward extensive proposals that address all sources of the disease, wildlife, cattle to cattle and latent infection utilising the tools available and taking on board the lived experience of effectiveness of measures in the past.
To stress that the focus of the Minister and his officials on blacklisting farmers through Risk Based Trading ignores the most fundamental objective, stopping the spread of TB. The Department's proposal does not stop TB spread. It merely compounds the losses for farmers who through no fault of their own have had a TB outbreak and are just returning to some sort of normality on their farm.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Francie Gorman IFA President, Damian McDonald IFA Director General, TJ Maher Animal Health Chair, Tomas Bourke IFA Senior Policy Executive, Donal Callaghan IFA Policy Executive
Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?)
No
Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign?
No
Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client?
No
Lobbying activity
The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.
Informal communication (11-20)
Designated public officials lobbied
The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them.
As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.
Barry Cassidy
Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Brendan Gleeson
Secretary General (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Brendan Smith
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Brian Purcell
Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
June Fanning
Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Martin Heydon
Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Michael Healy-Rae
Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)