The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Lobbying Organisation The Irish Farmers' Association - IFA

Date published 19 May, 2024

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Agriculture

Period 1 Jan, 2024 to 30 Apr, 2024

Specific Details Wildlife Control Programme

Intended results To express serious concern at the Department of Agriculture's failure to implement a successful wildlife control programme that can make a meaningful impact on tuberculosis (TB) levels. To highlight that additional funding for the hiring of FRS operatives to the Wildlife Control Programme was committed by the Department of Agriculture last March, and yet this still hasn't translated to the hiring of staff on the ground,” To highlight that the Department of Agriculture recently revealed to the Tuberculosis (TB) Implementation Working Group that they are understaffed by over 13 Technical Agricultural Officers throughout the country with responsibility for implementing the Wildlife Control Programme. To stress that the number of TB reactors in Ireland has increased to almost 30,000. The correlation between rising TB numbers and staff shortages in the Wildlife Control Programme cannot be denied. The Dept has already acknowledged that TB is at a critical juncture in this country, but progress won't be made if the Department doesn't put the personnel on the ground To outline that substantial changes and some significant enhancements have been agreed by the stakeholders in the TB programme, but the majority of these have either not been implemented, or in a very ad hoc manner in Regional Veterinary Offices throughout the country. To insist that, to start making a meaningful impact on reducing TB numbers and reducing the burden of the controls on farmers, the Department of Agriculture must focus on providing an effective, fully-resourced Wildlife Control Programme.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Damian McDonald IFA Director General, TJ Maher IFA Animal Health Chair

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (1)

Informal communication (2-5)

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Jackie Cahill TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Collins TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Fitzmaurice TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Ring TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Joe Flaherty TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paul Kehoe TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Claire Kerrane TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Brian Leddin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Johnny Mythen TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Tim Lombard Senator (Seanad)

Victor Boyhan Senator (Seanad)

Lynn Boylan Senator (Seanad)

Paul Daly Senator (Seanad)

Denis O'Donovan Senator (Seanad)

Barry Andrews MEP (European Parliament)

Billy Kelleher MEP (European Parliament)

Chris MacManus MEP (European Parliament)

Ciarán Cuffe MEP (European Parliament)

Clare Daly MEP (European Parliament)

Colm Markey MEP (European Parliament)

Deirdre Clune MEP (European Parliament)

Frances Fitzgerald MEP (European Parliament)

Grace O'Sullivan MEP (European Parliament)

Luke Ming Flanagan MEP (European Parliament)

Maria Walsh MEP (European Parliament)

Mick Wallace MEP (European Parliament)

Sean Kelly MEP (European Parliament)

Brendan Gleeson Secretary General (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)