Debate contribution: Bovine Tuberculosis

Debate contribution by Mr Daniel McCrossan on 27 April 2026.

MLA

Mr Daniel McCrossan

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

27 April 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Bovine Tuberculosis

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5508723

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Bovine tuberculosis remains a serious and persistent challenge facing our farming community. It costs in excess of £60 million a year. It puts pressure on family farms, strain on livelihoods and real stress on those working day and night to keep their business going. Behind every breakdown is a farmer dealing with uncertainty, financial loss and, too often, a serious toll on their mental health and well-being. To be clear from the outset, it is an issue that demands urgency, seriousness and a response that is grounded in evidence and will work in practice. We will support the motion, but it is important that we also recognise the complexity of the challenge that is front of the Assembly. There is no single cause of bovine tuberculosis, and there is no single solution. The evidence is clear that the disease is driven by a combination of cattle transmission and wildlife factors. That means that the response must be equally comprehensive. We need to see progress across a full range of measures. That includes stronger and more effective testing regimes; better biodiversity on our farms; movement controls that are workable and proportionate; and continued progress towards vaccination both in cattle and in wildlife. What farmers need is not one headline measure but a strategy that is coordinated, sustained and capable of delivering real reductions in the disease. It is also important that we acknowledge the concerns being raised by the farming community. It has been referenced that the Ulster Farmers’ Union has highlighted serious issues with the current regionalisation proposals. It has pointed out that the proposed pilot area may not be representative of the wider Northern Ireland picture. If that is indeed the case, there is a real risk that we end up with results that are skewed and not applicable across the region. That is a legitimate concern that the Department must heed and address. Farmers need clarity. They need to know in advance what measures will be compulsory, what will be voluntary and what the practical implications will be for their businesses. In particular, there must be clear communication on how movement in and out of any pilot area will operate. We cannot have a situation where farmers are being asked to sign up to a scheme without fully understanding the impact that it will have on them. Confidence in the process will be built only through transparency, clarity and engagement. On the issue of wildlife intervention, I want to be careful and considered. There is a role for intervention, but it must be guided by evidence, properly designed and proportionate. This is not about lifting one approach and assuming that it will work here; it is about ensuring that any measures taken are effective and sustainable and command public and stakeholder confidence. There are a range of interventions that can and should be considered, including vaccination and other measures. The key point is that decisions must be based on sound science and evidence and the clear understanding of what will deliver results in our context. Ultimately, what farmers want is progress on this. They want to see a plan that reduces the disease, protects their herds and gives them a future. They also want to know that the significant cost to the taxpayer is being used effectively and that we are moving towards a system that is sustainable in the long term.

Whilst we support the motion and the amendment, we do so on the basis that this must be part of a wider, coherent strategy; one that brings all the necessary measures together, one that listens to the farming community, and one that is focused, above all else, on delivering real and lasting reductions in bovine TB.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:32 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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