New TB 'Action Plan' is a shambles, say IFA
THE Dept. of Agriculture and Minister, Martin Heydon, have come in for scathing criticism from the IFA over their handling of the introduction of the new TB Action Plan.
According to the IFA, the implementation of the new plan and associated information campaign had been 'inadequate and deeply confusing for farmers and marts'.
An information leaflet issued to every herd owner in the country 'failed to clearly outline the new testing requirements'.
"Instead, it vaguely referenced changes across different categories of animals, leaving farmers with more questions than answers,” said David Hall, National IFA Animal Health Chair.
He added that while Minister Heydon's TB Action Plan had been implemented since April 13th last, the way it was communicated to stakeholders 'had been shambolic'.
David Hall also said that farmers had 'been left in the dark' in relation to animals falling into three different categories with no effort made to directly inform individual farmers of their status.
Marts are now enforcing rules that have not been clearly communicated to them
“This lack of clarity has led to widespread uncertainty among farmers and mart managers as to which herds are permitted to purchase certain animals.
"Marts are now enforcing rules that have not been clearly communicated to them,” said David Hall.
According to the IFA, the Department had issued a set of frequently asked questions whose answers directly contradicted the TB Action Plan document published on the same page.
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David Hall said that if the Department had 'engaged meaningfully with stakeholders prior to implementation', many of these issues could have been identified and resolved.
"Instead, we are now dealing with a completely avoidable mess,” said David Hall.
Galway IFA Chairman, Micheal Haverty, said that the implementation of the plan had been 'a rushed job' with the proper homework not having been completed.
"There are too many glitches in the new system with farmers and marts not provided with clear information and guidelines on its implementation. All this should have been carefully planned - instead, it has ended up as a right mess," said Micheál Haverty.
He said that while it was ‘business as normal’ for younger cattle [under 36-months], there were major issues arising concerning the sale of older and cows [over 36-months], with a clear test only valid for six months, instead of the usual 12-months.