TB compensation rates were discussed at a meeting between the farm organisations and the Department of Agriculture last Friday. A follow-up meeting will take place this week, again on Friday.

The talks were proposed at the most recent meeting of the TB stakeholders’ forum and are being chaired by Michael Cronin, who is chair of the forum.

IFA animal health chair Pat Farrell said he put the association’s key issues to senior Department officials last Friday. These include restoration of the independence of the live valuation scheme and the payment of full income loss for all reactors.

“I have sought a full assessment of the existing controls such as the contiguous testing programme and factory lesion restrictions. I want to ascertain if their impact on farmers could be reduced.”

The forum was established to agree a new programme which will eradicate TB from cattle by 2030. The various other agencies involved in the forum are not taking part in these bilateral talks.