Animal Diseases
Dail Éireann — 2026-03-19
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Martin Kenny (SF), Sligo-Leitrim

I understand that vaccines are approved and available but it will cost farmers to vaccinate. Will there be any assistance in that regard, as there could be quite an outlay for farmers?
TB is the other big vaccination programme we have in the country at the moment for animal disease and wildlife is obviously a serious issue. If bluetongue becomes a disease that we have to deal with across the State, will the problem arise that it will also spread? Could it potentially be hoarded within the wildlife sector, in particular in deer, which could then be spread to cattle or sheep?
The other issue that needs to be addressed in some sense is the impact on trade and in particular live exports? How will that be dealt with and what proposals does the Minister have in respect of that? There is quite a way to go here. If bluetongue is going to be in Ireland and we are not going to be able to prevent it - that seems to be the situation - how are we going to deal with it and go forward?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-03-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:45+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-19