Muir and Heydon announce new bovine tuberculosis cooperation project
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.
Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir MLA, and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, and have 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.
n 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.
Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir MLA, and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, and have 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.
n 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.
