Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
1118. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the vaccination figures of badgers for 2022, and the first quarter of 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17305/23]
View answerBadger vaccination is now an integral part of the Irish TB Eradication Programme. This follows over 15 years of research work using BCG vaccine to prevent tuberculosis infection in badgers, and scientific trials carried out between 2013 and 2017 that show that vaccination is no less effective than culling.
In 2022, there were 7,245 badgers captured in vaccination zones. In 2023 to date, there have been 3,783 badgers captured in vaccination zones, which is up over 800 animals compared to this time in 2022.
