The Minister for Agriculture has disclosed in response to a Parliamentary Question from Aontú TD Paul Lawless that between 30% and 70% of sheep infected with Blue Tongue in some EU member States have died.
Speaking today, Deputy Lawless said:
“I am shocked to learn these statistics from the Minister, and I think the government needs to be more open and transparent about the mortality rate from Blue Tongue when it comes to sheep. If sheep in this country start coming down with this disease it could be an absolute disaster. A potential 70% mortality rate is hard to even comprehend.
Deputy Lawless continued: “The Minister seems to be almost shrugging his shoulders in this response saying that the vaccine is approved for sheep also and sheep farmers should talk to their vets if they have concerns. We need a public information campaign around this, we need a state-sanctioned risk assessment and if needs be then a widespread vaccination of our sheep flock”.
“When we talk about Blue Tongue, we seldom hear sheep even mentioned, and we certainly don’t hear about the mortality rates. There must be more transparency and full disclosure from the Minister on the realities, dangers and potential devastation posed by this disease. The government needs to outline what steps are being taken to protect our sheep population from Blue Tongue and treating this issue with the seriousness it deserves”, concluded Lawless.
