Danny Healy-Rae Demands Answers on Blue-Tongue Spread
Danny Healy-Rae pressed the minister during a debate on the arrival and spread of blue-tongue disease, seeking explanations on transmission and control measures. He argued officials must clarify how midges or other vectors reached Wexford, urged scrutiny of imported straw, and warned of risks to live export markets and farm incomes.
Questions on transmission
He questioned the official explanation that midges carried the disease long distances and asked for evidence of how the infection moved down the country to Wexford. He raised whether humans or other means might spread the disease and said farmers need to understand precisely how it travels.
Concerns about imported straw
He asked whether straw imports could bring midges or insects into Ireland and suggested stopping imports if that were a risk. He noted Ireland has sufficient straw for bedding calves and for use in feed mixers, and said farmers rely on straw for animal care and efficient growth.
Risk to live export and farm incomes
He warned the outbreak could threaten live export markets and farm incomes, referencing previous ministerial efforts to secure a market in China and the consequences of losing that trade. He said a refusal by other countries to accept exports would depress cattle prices after farmers' winter investments.
Call for education and official action
He urged the minister and officials to explain what measures are being taken in Wexford to curtail the disease and to deploy available expertise to prevent it becoming widespread. He stressed that farmer education is paramount and reminded that the farming community is vital to both rural and urban Ireland and the nation's food supply.
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I suppose, Minister, we're glad to have this debate here this evening because it's vital. I believe that many Irish farmers don't really understand the implications of this or how it spreads. I suppose we're being told that it's by midges, but I suppose I don't think there was any midges would survive to come all the ways down from the north, down to Wexford, or how did that happen? There are simple questions like that that we need to be explained. If we have evidence or some idea how it happened or how it may have spread, you could say, the length of the country, we'd like to know that. I suppose I have been asked questions by people, farmers right around me. If imported straw, are we importing straw? Can these midges or insects be alive in the straw and land here that way? I honestly think if it's something like that, we need to stop importing straw. We have enough straw here. If it wasn't being plowed into the ground, and we do need straw for bedding calves and even for feeding cattle, for mixing in the mixers, for the different things they mix in the diet feeders to help cattle to improve and to grow efficiently. It couldn't be more serious. Our live export, after the trouble that the minister and his officials went to secure the market in China and then to lose it. I mean, if other countries were to stop us from exporting or refuse to take our exports, we'd be in right trouble. The price of cattle would come down after what fellows have put into them all the winter. I suppose there's other questions like, when cattle are hosed, are they safe? I don't see midges in hosed cattle anyway. We have seen midges at times when we really didn't want them in the bargain places like that. Can humans spread in any way spread the blue-tongued art boards? Boards travel long distances. We need to be educated minister as to how exactly it spreads and what are we doing in Wexford to curtail it and stop it. We need to know what's involved and how it is done because it can, when you see it coming down from Lennart and Weyland down to Wexford, we need to have any answer to that yet. We'd like to hear that minister because it's very important. Education is paramount as to how to stop it. We were very glad back in the early 2000s when we stopped the foot and mould and kept it out of our country to avoid it at that time and I'm asking you to ensure to do your best to curtail it yourself and the officials that you have availability and all the expertise and ensure that it doesn't become rampant in our country and amongst our farmers because our farmers, as I've said many times here before, our farming community are vital for rural Ireland and for urban Ireland because we're dependent on them so much for the food that we're eating every day. Thank you very much.
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