Debate contribution: Bovine TB

Debate contribution by Mr Robbie Butler on 19 November 2024.

MLA

Mr Robbie Butler

Party at the time

Ulster Unionist Party

Date

19 November 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Bovine TB

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4666309

Read the official Assembly record

Text

My apologies for my rushed entrance. This is an important debate on bovine tuberculosis, which continues to plague our farming community. It impacts on not only agricultural output but the physical, mental and financial well-being of farmers across Northern Ireland. When I was first announced as the Chair of the AERA Committee, the first phone call that I took was from a farmer who talked about the more than significant impact that the disease is having on his business, his mental state and his wider family. I have been listening to the debate, and I have heard that, so far, the Assembly has acknowledged the profound impact of bTB, and rightly so. The disease is a scourge on our livestock industry, a threat to our very economy and a challenge to animal and farmer welfare. I hope that today we will honestly and openly critically assess the efforts that have been made to date, highlight the gaps, which some Members have pointed out, and propose actionable solutions that will put science, welfare and sustainability at the heart of the Minister's response. Let us first acknowledge the significant work that has already been undertaken, which Mr McGlone spoke about. The eradication strategy and the TB Eradication Partnership represent meaningful steps towards addressing the disease, but, as we know, different Ministers have taken various approaches so far, and we find ourselves in stasis. Stakeholder engagement has been central to the approach that everyone has tried to deploy so far. The Assembly should commend the efforts that have been made to consult widely and to incorporate those diverse perspectives. The Northern Ireland bTB report provided valuable data and insights. It is clear that a science-based approach is pivotal. Initiatives like targeted testing, biosecurity measures and the roll-out of risk-based trading have set a solid foundation, but that is what it is: a foundation. The motion, however, highlights the fact that we need a more "comprehensive and holistic" strategy that balances eradication efforts with the welfare of all animals and the sustainability of our rural communities. I thank the Members for tabling the motion. The science is unequivocal, by which I mean that it says that there is no silver bullet for eradicating TB and that it is slightly more complex than having just one strategy. Any successful strategy must integrate multiple measures. The recent bTB vaccination report by the University of Cambridge, which Mr Gaston talked about, provides some useful evidence for the role that a vaccine could play. The vaccination of cattle and badgers could offer a humane and scientifically supported method of reducing disease transmission, but we are probably a little step away from that programme, and we cannot wait on all the findings from it. The research demonstrates that, when properly implemented, badger vaccination reduces bovine tuberculosis prevalence without resorting to widespread culling, which is very difficult for some people even to contemplate. Moreover, cattle vaccination, combined with differentiating infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA) testing, provides a pathway to long-term disease control. I do not believe that we, as a jurisdiction, currently consider or support vaccination as a tool in the eradication strategy, but we should not remove it as a future useful part of the holistic methodology that the motion tries to point us towards. I understand that that aspect of the solution would require significant investment in infrastructure, training and communication in order to ensure farmer buy-in and successful implementation and to minimise the cull that would probably still be required, which may be determined as absolutely necessary. Animal welfare must be central to any strategy that we develop. It is a difficult truth that decisions about controlling wildlife populations often spark divisive debates, but the welfare balance cannot be ignored. Often, in the debate about animal welfare and bTB, our livestock are overlooked. Cattle are an integral component of our food system, and they deserve protection from the suffering caused by bTB. Equally, wildlife species like badgers and deer, which Mr McGlone mentioned, need to be treated with respect to reduce their suffering, and sometimes those are difficult decisions. The blanket culling of badgers has long been a controversial issue, and the evidence on its effectiveness for eradicating bTB is contested, but there is no doubt that it is a component of it. The University of Cambridge study confirms that vaccination could be a viable and ethical alternative. Farmers need to be central in considerations around balancing welfare. The stress of losing animals to TB, enduring repeated testing and facing financial uncertainty is immense. Indeed, bovine tuberculosis is one of the leading contributors to farmers' deteriorating mental health. I hope that the Minister, in his response to the debate, grapples with the points that we have made and recognises that a holistic science-led approach is needed. He needs to not shy away from the issue during his tenure, because our farmers really need an answer from this place.

821 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:37 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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