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BADGERS WILL BE spared from departmental culling and will instead be vaccinated in a bid to eradicate tuberculosis in cattle, it has been announced.
Agriculture Minister Michael Creed announced the measure yesterday which he said was an attempt to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) in Irish cattle.
Creed said the move follows years of scientific research funded by his department into the use of BCG vaccine in badgers. This vaccine is designed to reduce the impact of disease in wildlife hosts which transfer it back into the cattle population.
Bovine TB may also infect badgers. There is widespread infection in the badger population in Ireland and Infected badgers can transmit TB back to cattle.
Creed said: “The most recent research findings confirm that vaccination of badgers can play a role in reducing the level of infection in cattle. Whilst vaccination of badgers is not a ‘silver bullet’, it is important in that it addresses one of the critical elements within the complex TB eradication challenge.
“This will now allow us move forward in the early part of this year to the development and re-launch, in consultation with stakeholders, of a comprehensive strategy to finally eradicate TB.”
Vaccination of badgers will be carried out by staff from the Department of Agriculture. The programme will begin in areas which have already been part of the field trials demonstrating the effectiveness of the vaccination.
Creed said he was happy that the new programme “enables Ireland move forward towards eradication of bovine TB in a controlled holistic way, which will serve to protect the badger population whilst also protecting cattle and the livelihoods of farmers”.
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Sure who doesn’t think this is a daft tax. Another stealth tax.
it is a stealth tax just to pay the banks,I woukdn say Ireland is obese,sure we all carry a few extra pounds and I for one don’t eat much junk prob a litre of coke and 4 choc bars a week max.
I personally just like my food.
to be over weight on sweets it would have to be your main died and be super lazy
people won’t change what they eat they will just pay more for the pleasure..
agree with your point about paying more for pleasure Vinnie, people having no money hasnt stopped them paying 9.20 for a pack of cigs (im one of them). People like to treat themselves and the little “treats” are even more important now than ever before..gives people a small bit of happiness in these hard times.
Whats the tax going to be? Say at absolute most an additional 25c for a bottle of coke? Hardly going to put people off! If I want coke, I’ll buy it. Putting up the price to simply pay the banks will have minimal effect.
yep just another stealth tax that will mostly be asorbed by less well off.
but it get enough support from the fatty bashers in the pretence its for their own good.
would be better to tax luxury items like smart phones ipads cameras 2nd homes but that won’t be popular as that’s hitting
@TOM – People who say this is to target the poor – I ain’t rich, eating healthily is actually cheaper that eating crap so in fact continuing the way it is currently structured is actually costing the poor more and damaging their health more – Introduce a sugar and fat tax while simultaneously introducing incentives in price to healthy options.
@DIARMAID TWOMEY I think there are coming in your calculator; totally disagree that it’s cheaper to eat healthily. You can get a can, bar or chocolate and crisps for about ?2.50. A sandwich, water and a piece of fruit costs around ?5. You can buy 2burgers, curly fries and a drink for around ?5 in McDonald’s while meat on its own will cost ?5 for a dinner.
Sorry I think there are ‘gremlins’ in your calculator
You’re not comparing apples with apples. You can make your own soup and bread that will last for a week for less than €15. All you need is stock, vegetables, flour etc. that’s €2 a day for lunch. For dinner you can pick up some veg and a breast of chicken for less than a fiver so I think it’s you who has the gremlins to be fair!
Is there much sugar in beer, mmmmm sugar
Soda consumption in Ireland is 104 litters a year… 6 cans a week. If the population cuts that down to 5 a week because of a 10% tax. Each individual will have a financial net gain. Thus people will not have less disposable income they will have more, having saved the cost of one full can.
A chocolate bar is not a substitute product for a can of soda in 90% of circumstances. No one says ‘I’m thirsty…. But coke is looking kind of expensive, I think I’m going to buy a snickers instead’
Actually, the cost of half a can, the remaining 50% of that cost will be taken up by the 10% per can on the other 5.
I don’t see it reducing consumption though, people will just pay the extra
@Vocal, price increases always affect consumption. The level of change is dependent of the price elasticity of the product. There are a few exceptions to this, but soft drinks are definitely not one of them.
Now there’s a surprise. This is far from a daft tax, I think this is a great idea. Bad diet constitutes the worst health problem our society faces, it would be daft not to try do something about it. The cost of caring and treating obese and unhealthy people and the diseases they face as a result of their diets is already huge but will only get bigger and bigger as times goes on. Cigarettes and alcohol are taxed to the gills to reflect their health cost, sugary, fatty and unhealthy foods should be treated as such! This is a great measure for both deterrence and assistance with cost. If you want to eat crap, no one is stopping you, but you’re going to have to contribute when you eat that crap to the inevitable cost your illnesses will have on the health system. Simple!
Why don’t you publish your healthy intake of food and we will all judge you, such a ridiculous comment about obese people, your watching too much telly and now your brain washed. The conditions you mentioned relate just as much to thin people too. Im so sick of the attitude towards people with excess weight not every one stuffs themselfs silly, it would be so easy to tackle if that was the case. a bit of proper education on this topic would go a long way. Attitudes like yours are very damaging and hurtful so please go easy on people.
I’m with Diarmaid… Eat less, Move more, IT’S THAT SIMPLE.
It may be hurtful… But you know what. The truth hurts
What in Gods name are you talking about? It’s a medical FACT that people with poor diets and nutrition are much more likely to develop heart disease or have a heart attack (cholesterol levels etc), develop type 2 diabetes (high intake of sugar), develop colon cancer (bad food fermenting in colon), liver problems (fatty liver) – will I keep going? I can list my food if you wish – porridge for breakfast, I make my own soup for lunch with brown spelt bread or a salad with meat, an egg on spelt bread later in the afternoon and something like one piece of meat and ratatouille for dinner! I survive pretty well on that and granted I could be struck with an illness too, but at least my chances are hugely reduced (another fact). Oh and people who say this is to target the poor – I ain’t rich, eating healthily is actually cheaper that eating crap so in fact continuing the way it is currently structured is actually costing the poor more and damaging their health more – Introduce a sugar and fat tax while simultaneously introducing incentives in price to healthy options.
If you think I was singling out obese people for criticism I apologise. There are many underweight people with even worse diets who put their health at risk much more, I am merely pointing out that the majority of obese people are obese because of their diets, though I accept not all!
As far as I can see it has to be a “sugar tax” not just on soft drinks..toffee is almost totally made of sugar so no way can drinks be taxed and not confectionery..Anyway my point is this tax would make sense if a proportion of the revenue made is re-invested into the dental part of our healthcare system..otherwise its just another excuse to squeeze more money from us and at this stage enough is enough!
A lot of the fresh bread we buy has added sugar while diet coke has only artificial sweetners.
This government will “re-invest revenue”? Hahaha. It’s all about the money, money, money. The banks, the bondholders, the fat-cat bankers salaries, the ministerial pensions.
The only reason I disagree with this tax is because is that the revenue is going to pay off bailouts, bankers, bondholders, etc. However, if you’re going to be a drain on society because of your self-inflicted health problems then it is fair enough that you pay for it.
Yes but pay for it in a mandatory affordable health insurance not some stupid Ill-conceived money grab that has the potential to reignite cross border shopping if extended.
A lower level of consumption is a good thing. I’m sure most people with health problems they are responsible for look back and think “oh if only I had been more careful”. It’s not the thought of having to pay medical bills in 40 years time that is going to reduce someone’s consumption of junk food, but a price increase will. At the end of the week whether you’ve had 12 or 5 cans of coke you won’t feel any different, but over time it could make a big difference to your life.
Sure dentists would lose a fortune , its not in their interests to have a tax
Spot on.
There should be a tax based on the BMI.
Alternatively a new tax index based upon FRB. (Fat Rich Bastards!)
This is far from a daft tax, I think this is a great idea! Better then cutting further services or increasing the tax base! I’m in for that! Grew up on milk at dinner not fizzy drinks! like any stealth tax of this form there will be other ways of getting the goods! There may be not much on cohart studies in Ireland but in US,Can,and Aus there is! I Find it amusing obesity was to mention and not the family dental bills by the Dentists! Dentists are suppose to promote good nutrition and the biggest killer of Irish teeth is bad practice and fizzy drinks for the young! Down with the dentists and down with fizzy drinks! Now confectionary should not be touched and if so I don’t agree.. alot of small bussiness would feel the brunt!
It is very suspicious you would have to admit, that there is a programme on RTE on Monday night about the rise in obesity in Ireland and the following morning the government unveil their plans for a tax on sugary drinks….. The government’s PR team working overtime!
In my opinion I can’t see that this tax is going to do much good on the size of the public’s waist, and agree that the problem has to be dealt with, but I have to laugh at the way it has been unveiled….. The government really think we are all very gullible.
Both groups have vested interests in their own profit margins. If its ring fenced for health & obesity tackling then all the better for the population and all the worse for dentists & food corporations.
i think a tax such as this would have to be countered with a reduction in something healthy, maybe tax deductable gym memberships or something. That way it couldn’t be claimed as a money making exercise.
This tax is a revenue earner, that’s all. As for the old ‘health service drain’ argument, I have paid private health insurance all my life. I earn my own money and pay my own way. I don’t want more government interference in my freedoms. I don’t want to pay more taxes.
A person should have the simple right to eat what they like and not what you or anyone else thinks they should. Freedom. Less government nannying. Less taxes.
have your say