It is devastating for a farmer when his or her herd has to be partially or totally depopulated. We know that herds are built up over a considerable length of time. There is a big investment and big commitment by the individual farmer, and we do not switch on or off the breeding or development of herds. The current compensation levels do not reflect the reality of the prices paid in marts today. I appeal to the Minister to have the compensation levels for cattle that are depopulated due to tuberculosis, TB, revised upwards.

I thank Deputy Brendan Smith for raising this issue. As somebody who is a strong advocate on behalf of farmers in his constituency and as a former Minister for agriculture, this is an issue he has worked on consistently over the last number of years. I too am acutely aware of the emotional and financial burden that comes with a TB breakdown for a farm family, so making significant progress in reducing TB incidence rates remains a key priority of mine.

The main compensation provision of the bovine TB programme is the on-farm market valuation scheme which compensates eligible herd-owners up to the market value an individual animal would have attained on the open market at the time of its valuation under the scheme. The valuations are carried out by independent valuers who are informed by summary market prices which reflect the most up-to-date market values for various categories sold on the open market. In addition to the on-farm market valuation compensation package, depopulation grants may be paid to eligible herd-owners whose herds are depopulated either totally or partially. The grant is paid per animal removed in the depopulation measure and for those removed as reactors since the holding was restricted, on condition that the herd-owner agrees to the depopulation at the time specified by the Department.

As part of the work of the TB forum, a dedicated financial working group comprising representatives from my Department and the farming organisations was established 16 months ago to review the current financial model of the TB programme. Its remit includes a review of compensation schemes with respect to all types of bovine herds. Recommendations from the finance working group will be submitted to the TB forum for consideration.

Compensation rates for TB reactor animals are capped under the provisions of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. Herd-owners in possession of very valuable animals should give careful consideration to mitigating their risks by taking out insurance, thereby enabling them to recover the full market value of such animals in the event of an outbreak of TB in the herd. By all of industry working together, and I know the Deputy will agree with this, we can achieve significant progress in reducing the scourge of TB in our farming sector for farm families.

Given the areas the Minister and I represent, we are aware of the importance of cross-Border co-operation. That continues and it is hugely important for dealing with animal disease on an all-Ireland basis. I sincerely hope that this co-operation, which has existed for many years, will work as robustly as it did in the past.

The Minister mentioned the TB forum and the financial working group. I hope that will report without further delay. The Minister said it was established 15 months ago, but prices and costs for everything have changed dramatically in the meantime. Perhaps the Minister would ask the working group to report to the forum without further delay.

The caps are outdated at present. The Minister knows from talking to farmers at the marts and from being in the mart himself that the prices for a number of cattle are exceeding the maximum payment the Department can pay in respect of a depopulated animal. That live valuation scheme needs to be amended. There is also a need for simplification. I hope the Minister will amend the scheme to ensure that the true market value of the animals being depopulated will be reflected in the compensation payment.

I recently met with the TB forum. The next meeting of the financial working group is on 21 July. That will be attended by officials from my Department and representatives of the farming organisations. The group has held five meetings this year so I look forward to it completing its work. It was the TB forum that was set up 16 months ago and it has a number of working groups under it. It was very important to come together and work to one strategy. I acknowledge the work of all key stakeholders. It is only through everyone working together and everyone recognising the importance of following the scientific advice here that we can bring down TB rates and reduce the hardship involved for families as well as the cost impact for them.

The current animal ceiling under the on-farm market value scheme is €3,000 in respect of an individual bovine, except in the case of a stock bull where the ceiling is €4,000 or a pedigree stock bull in the same breakdown episode which has a ceiling of €5,000. However, it is all being considered by the financial working group.

I again appeal to the Minister to ask the working group to expedite its work. I have concern about the compensation being adequate for pedigree cattle. Those of us who were reared on farms and represent rural communities take great pride in looking at quality animals at our shows every year and in visiting individual farmers. I have a concern that valuable pedigree lines could be lost. I know of some individual farmers who win national awards every year and would have a number of substantive pedigree herds. If they are unfortunate enough to have a partial or total depopulation, it will mean financial ruin for them. We need to address that particular matter. I emphasise again that our farmers have built up quality herds over the years. When disease comes into a herd it is, to use a phrase we have often heard, like a death in the family. Farmers take such pride in the work on their farms and in building up herds and having the quality produce we all champion in this country. We talk about the quality of the food we export to so many countries throughout the world. We need to ensure the primary producer-----

We are over time.

I call the Minister to conclude.

I thank Deputy Brendan Smith for raising this issue and for his ongoing advocacy on behalf of the farming community. I have asked that all of the work be completed as quickly as possible. The working group will meet at the end of this month and I look forward to progress being made there. Overall, we can take heart from the fact that by everyone working together in the TB forum and by agreeing the new TB strategy, we are making progress. We can make real progress on that in the time ahead by coming together working together. The financial aspects of that are important and the finance working group is considering those in detail. It will produce its report very soon and I am looking forward to that.