5 NOVEMBER 2020

ICSA Animal Health & Welfare chair Hugh Farrell has said that the association will not agree to any proposals from the Department until all outstanding issues around compensation and wildlife measures (including deer) are dealt with in a satisfactory way.

ICSA agrees that there is a need for enhanced support for herds that have had a long and difficult TB experience. However, the term “enhanced support” is not analogous with provisions such as imposing a 30 day pre-movement test. Mr Farrell said that the ICSA would not even entertain this discussion unless it was guaranteed that any such proposals were limited to very specific cases of herds that have had severe and recurring TB outbreaks.

In addition, ICSA would not engage unless the TB Strategy was built on the principle that there would be full financial supports in place to ensure that no individual herd owner was carrying unfair cost.

There must be a satisfactory conclusion to the outstanding questions relating to compensation and a commitment to fully confront the role of wildlife. In particular, ICSA wants to see an end to the half-hearted engagement with the deer problem.

ICSA also wants to ensure that independent valuers are left to do their job and that compensation ceilings are significantly amended in the case of breeding stock. There is also outstanding issues around hardship grants, income supplements and depopulation, which must be resolved.

ENDS