2495. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason his Department's on-farm badger biosecurity scheme is encouraging farmers to ‘fence off badger setts’, given interference with the breeding or resting site of a protected mammal, including badger, is an offence under the Wildlife Act 1976. [55244/26]

I launched the Bovine TB Action Plan Addressing Bovine TB in Ireland in September 2025 to address the high levels of bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) and reduce the emotional and financial stress of a bTB outbreak on farmers, their families and rural communities. The action plan includes 5 measures and 30 actions supported by scientific research, evidence and veterinary expertise. Measure 2 of the Plan includes 8 actions to Reduce the impact of wildlife on the spread of bTB.

The most effective measure to reduce of risk of bTB transmission from badgers to cattle and cattle to badger is good on-farm badger biosecurity. The On Farm Badger Biosecurity Scheme was developed to support farmers in taking a proactive farm-based approach towards the risk posed by badgers to the spread of bTB. This measure facilitates fencing off badger setts and the installation of suitable water and feeding troughs. The fencing action aims to reduce the risk of contact between bovines and the area immediately around the opening of a badger sett through the use of fencing and not by interference with the badger sett itself.

The terms and conditions of the On Farm Badger Biosecurity scheme state "Fencing materials shall only be used to fence the area around badgers setts to exclude bovines from the area surrounding the opening of a badger sett. The fence must be erected a minimum of 2 metres from the opening of the sett. Where the sett to be fenced is a large sett with a number of openings it is advised to erect the fence a distance greater than 2 metres from the openings. The fence must contain a minimum of two strands of wire. The purpose of the fence is to keep cattle back from setts, and not to fence the badger in."

The terms and conditions also state that "Farmers must not interfere with badgers or their setts. Badgers are a protected species and setts are protected structures under the Wildlife Acts. It is an offence to interfere with either badgers or setts."

Excluding bovines from having access to the areas around badger setts will reduce both the transmission of bTB from badgers to cattle as well as the transmission of bTB from cattle to badgers. This will help to improve the health status of both the bovine herd and badger population.