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TB and Brucellosis Eradication Schemes

ERAD Division is responsible for developing and managing, in an effective and efficient manner, the Bovine TB and Brucellosis policy framework for national disease eradication programmes, which include valuation and compensation measures.

The programme is operational throughout Ireland and is managed through 16 administrative areas each served by a District Veterinary Office (DVOs). Each DVO has a team of administrative staff, Technical Agricultural Officers and Veterinary Inspectors under the management of a Superintending Veterinary Inspector (SVI). Ireland is divided into 2 regions and the activities of DVOs are co-ordinated in a regional structure under the Regional Senior Superintending Veterinary Inspector (SSVI) in Area Management Teams. A focused strategy will operate in areas with a higher disease incidence, based on herd categorisation and contiguous testing arrangements.

The control and ultimate eradication of Bovine Tuberculosis and Brucellosis is essential for the well-being and future development of our livestock production for both export and domestic markets.

Existing Arrangements

The main aspects of the TB and Brucellosis Diseases Eradication Schemes are as follows:

• annual testing for TB (the "Round" test) of the national herd and/or designated categories of animals, with primary responsibility for arranging testing and paying for certain tests assigned to farmers;
• the round test requirements for Brucellosis have been reviewed following Ireland's attainment of Official Brucellosis Free Status as a result of which the Department has gradually reduced testing requirements. Herdowners will be advised when testing of their herd is required;       
• follow-up and focused strategic additional testing, including use of blood testing for TB in certain circumstances;
• restriction of holdings when reactors are disclosed.
• movement of any animal into or out of a restricted holding is prohibited, except with the written permission of the DVO and on foot of a movement permit.
• restriction of inconclusive TB reactor animals to herd for life or direct to slaughter  or via a feedlot direct to slaughter.
• restriction, pending test, of relevant herds contiguous to a high risk TB breakdown where those herds were not tested in the previous four months.
• rapid removal of reactors to meat factories or, in the case of calves which are deemed to be of no commercial value, to knackeries (subject to age/weight limitations). Removal is paid for by the Department).
• a range of compensation measures for farmers whose herds are affected by disease;
• delays in testing or removing reactors due to lack of co-operation by the farmer, for whatever reason (including valuation/compensation issues), may lead to a reduction in compensation.
• a badger culling programme where they are implicated in a disease breakdown.
• improved epidemiology and feedback to farmers;
• a comprehensive research programme aimed at preventing TB spread by wildlife and the development of blood tests, vaccines and other technological tools required to improve effectiveness of programmes.
• Payment of disease levies by farmers on cattle slaughterings/live exports and milk deliveries.

Responsibility for arranging and paying for the first herd tests each year rests with farmers. In addition, farmers have primary responsibility for protecting their own herds and are also encouraged to assist the Department’s District Veterinary Offices in research activities, as necessary.

Compensation Regime for T.B. and Brucellosis

Requirements

Even if a herd is clear, each owner should familiarise themselves with the terms of the TB and Brucellosis compensation regimes which can be summarised as follows:

• The main elements of the existing compensation regime are the On-Farm Market Valuation Scheme, the Income Supplement Scheme, the Depopulation Grant Scheme and the Hardship Grant Scheme. In order to qualify for payment, the owner/s must meet certain eligibility conditions under each Scheme.      
• Entitlement to the payment of compensation is also conditional on compliance with the provisions of the Diseases of Animals Act, 1966, any Orders made thereunder and any other controls laid down under the Diseases Eradication Schemes, with the Animal Remedies legislation, with movement, identification and other national/EU legislative requirements and controls relating to bovine animals and products of bovine animals administered by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The Minister may refuse payment of compensation, in whole or in part, where an owner does not satisfy the aforementioned provisions or where the Minister is satisfied that the owner/keeper has failed to co-operate with authorised officers or Veterinary Inspectors of the Department in carrying out their duties under the Schemes. 
• Compensation payments are structured to benefit the owners whose farming practice assists herd health protection. The Department's Booklet "Compensation arrangements for TB and Brucellosis - Important Information for Farmers" provides useful information in relation to the On Farm Market Valuation Scheme, Income Supplement, Depopulation Grant and Hardship Grant eligibility requirements, rates, etc. The booklet is available on request from the D.V.O.
• Under the Brucellosis Eradication Scheme, the animals which require to be tested in the Annual Round are female animals aged 24 months or more and bulls aged 24 months or more.
• In order to be eligible for consideration for maximum compensation payments in the event of a Brucellosis breakdown in the herd, any eligible animals (i.e. female animals aged 18 months or over and bulls aged 24 months or over) that move into the holding must have also have had a Brucellosis test conducted within 30 days of entering the holding.
• In the case of a Brucellosis breakdown, the DVO will commence completion of Form ER 111 using all available information on eligible animals which possibly entered the herd during the specified period under review for determining compensation payment. Form ER 111 will be forwarded to the owner who may be required to furnish additional information but will be required to sign a declaration. Each owner will have a unique review period which is dependent on, inter alia, date of breakdown test and date of last full herd test prior to the breakdown. 
• Apart from the legal requirement to keep a herd register on all animal movements, it is absolutely imperative for the purposes of the Brucellosis compensation arrangements that the owner/keeper keeps records of all movements of eligible animals into/out of his/her herd using a herd register and keeping other relevant information as proof of purchase or sale. In the event of a Brucellosis breakdown, it will then be possible for the owner/keeper to speedily provide the additional information if needed to complete the valuation and other compensation processes e.g. date of purchase. Where depopulation occurs as a result of a Brucellosis breakdown, the Depopulation Grant category cannot be determined by the DVO without the full co-operation of the owner/keeper in completing Form ER 111 as soon as possible after the breakdown and providing all the information sought. The onus is on the owner/keeper to provide all necessary information to the valuer and to the DVO. The herd register and/or original sales or other related documentation may be requested from the owner/keeper by the valuer and/or the DVO.

On-Farm Market Valuation Scheme 

Compensation for cattle removed as reactors is paid under the On-Farm Market Valuation Scheme (which replaced the Reactor Grant scheme in 2002). However, reactor grant rates continue to apply to dealer/feedlot herds.

For the purpose of valuations, "Market Value" is the equivalent price which might reasonably have been obtained for the animal at the time of determination of compensation from a purchaser in the open market if the animal was not affected by TB or Brucellosis or was not being removed as part of a depopulation under the disease eradication programme.

The main features of the live valuation system include:

• Valuations are carried out by suitably qualified valuers within prescribed timescales and by reference to guidelines drawn up by Department staff;
• A ceiling of €2,800 (inclusive of factory salvage price) applies to payments in respect of any single animal, except in respect of one pedigree stock bull per farm where a ceiling of €3,500 (inclusive of factory salvage price) applies;
• Where the owner or the Department do not accept the initial valuation, this can be appealed to another valuer on the panel;
• Following completion of the on-farm valuation process (i.e. first valuation or appeal), the reactor(s) are removed from farms by the Reactor Collection Service/Knackery Collection Service as deemed appropriate by the Department;
• If there is no agreement following an appeal, the matter is referred to an Arbitration Panel whose decision will be final and binding on both parties;
• Graduated penalties apply to the final compensation payment made to the owner where s/he unreasonably delays the removal of reactors as well as for other breaches of regulations;
• Valuation payments will not be paid in respect of any introduced animal (other than where permission has been granted to move in (i) a replacement stock bull(s),  (ii)  emergency replacement suckler calf (where a calf to a suckler cow dies and is notified to NBAS), (iii) in the case of a newly established herd, (iv) or in the case of animals moved into a restricted herd pending a contiguous test) deemed reactor which was moved into the holding during the restriction period;
• It is important to note that the movement of any animal into or out of a restricted holding is prohibited, except with the written permission of the DVO and on foot of a movement permit.
• When farmers are requesting permission to move in animals during a restriction period, they should be aware that, in general, the movement of cattle into their herd will render them ineligible for the Hardship Grant, or Income Supplement schemes and, in the case of the Valuation scheme and Depopulation Grants where appropriate, for compensation in respect of the moved in cattle. Permission to move in (i) a replacement stock bull(s), (ii) emergency replacement suckler calf (where a calf to a suckler cow dies and is notified to NBAS), (iii) cattle into a newly established herd or (iv) animals moved into a restricted herd pending a contiguous herd test, will generally not affect eligibility for compensation.

Full Market Value

Full market values subject to the ceilings referred to above will be payable where breakdown herds are stable (i.e. not dealer or feedlot) and where the owner/keeper has complied with the legal and other requirements relating to the disease eradication schemes and to cattle identification/registration and veterinary medicine requirements. In respect of dealer/feedlot herds, compensation will not in any event exceed the ceilings that apply under the 27 April 1998 Reactor Compensation Regime.

Depopulation Grant

An owner whose herd is depopulated (totally or partially) in the interest of disease control may qualify for Depopulation Grants. Depopulation Grants are generally paid for each animal removed in the depopulation measure and for those removed as reactors since the holding was restricted, excluding animals moved in during the restriction period, with exceptions as set out above, on condition that the owner agrees to depopulation at the time specified by the DVO. If this agreement is not received and depopulation takes place subsequently, the owner is excluded from eligibility for Depopulation Grants on all past, present and future reactors during the restriction period i.e. Depopulation Grants will only be paid on the in-contact animals removed at the time of any subsequent depopulation. Depopulation Grants are paid in respect of each month of the rest period specified by the DVO.

The rates currently in force are as follows: 

Depopulation Grant Rates

Note:

Depopulation Grant rates quoted above represent the maximum available in respect of a 4 month rest period following depopulation. Pro rata deductions or increases will be made if the rest period after depopulation is less than 4 months

Income Supplement

Income Supplement is payable in cases where disease breakdown results in the removal of more than 10% of animals in a herd (determined by the DVO on the basis of relevant test material) and where depopulation is not deemed appropriate. Payment is in respect of each animal removed as a reactor from a herd, subject to a maximum of 100 animals qualifying for payment.

Income Supplement is generally not payable in the event of animals being purchased or moved into a restricted holding (even with the permission of the DVO) at any time during the restriction period. Eligibility for payment will cease from the date of movement into the herd for the remainder of that restriction period. The exceptions to this rule are set out above.

Income Supplement eligibility will also cease in the event of:

• The owner/keeper failing to co-operate with Veterinary Inspectors or authorised officers in carrying out their duties under the Diseases Eradication Schemes, including delays in testing;
• Depopulation (total or partial) of the herd being deemed appropriate by the Department;
• De-restriction of the holding.

The rates currently in force are as follows:

Income Supplement Monthly rates

Note: 

Specific conditions attach to the qualification for and cessation of Income Supplement payment. Payments under this scheme are paid monthly in arrears and are payable in respect of whole months only, the first whole month commencing on the date of removal of reactors that triggered the eligibility (e.g. from 13 Sept to 12 Oct). Accordingly, when eligibility ceases, a pro rata payment will not issue in respect of any remaining part month. Note also that payment may not be made where the owner fails to have the Reactor Re-test carried out within the specified time.

Hardship Grant

The Hardship Grant eligibility period runs from 1 November to 30 April. This Scheme is designed to alleviate the costs difficulty of some owners whose holdings are restricted on foot of a herd re¿test and where animals are retained and fed during periods of restriction. Potentially eligible owners must meet certain conditions, including requirements that they (i) must not have any income from milk sales and (ii) must not have any off-farm income. In addition, the general rule is that where animals (with exceptions noted above) have been moved on to a holding during a restriction period, eligibility for receipt of the hardship grants ceases for the remainder of the restriction period.

The Grant may provide eligible owners with a payment of up €250.00 per month for a period not exceeding 4 months within the period 1 November to 30 April.

The onus is on potentially eligible owners to ensure that they obtain and familiarise themselves with the terms and conditions document and application form ER97. Potentially eligible owners are issued with the terms and conditions document, important notice and application form ER97 by the DVO. Supplies of the relevant documentation are also available at DVOs. The onus is on the owners to apply for a Hardship Grant.

Reactor Collection Service

A key condition for compensation payment eligibility is that all reactors must be removed immediately via the Reactor Collection Service to a registered meat export premises involved in the slaughter of reactor animals (except where removal to a knackery is appropriate). In addition, unless they are moved directly to a knackery, cattle being slaughtered as reactors must comply with the same rules governing the use of animal remedies as other cattle i.e. (i) no substance should be given to the animal(s) which render their meat unfit for human consumption and (ii) the withdrawal period(s) for any medication administered to any of the animals must have expired. Where an animal which is to be removed as a reactor has been treated with a veterinary medicine, the herdowner/s is required to inform the Department immediately. In addition, herdowners are required to complete and provide the Food Chain Information document in respect of reactor animals which are transported to meat premises.

Miscellaneous  

• A tax reference number (PPS) is required in advance of any payment issuing from the Department. If compensation payment/s under the scheme exceed €10,000 (incl VAT) in a 12 month period, a Tax Clearance Certificate is required;
• In accordance with the payment targets agreed on Payments to Farmers under the Charter of Rights for Farmers, payment of TB and Brucellosis compensation will normally be made within 3 weeks of the date of receipt of the required back-up documentation from the owner/keeper and the meat factory. The required back up documentation for valuation payment is detailed in the "Compensation arrangements for TB and Brucellosis Important Information for Farmers" Booklet;
• The Department will pay compensation in accordance with the provisions of the compensation regime and specified payment targets. This does not undermine or compromise the owners with regard to any appeal. In the event of a successful appeal, the requisite amount will issue as a separate payment;
• The compensation arrangements and rates are adjusted from time to time in consultation with the farm organisations. Any queries in relation to compensation matters should be directed to the appropriate DVO in the first instance.

List of DVOs(doc 139Kb)