McGlone: Brexit leaves hole in TB eradication efforts

Social Democratic and Labour Party Agriculture spokesperson Patsy McGlone has revealed that efforts to eradicate TB will suffer a major financial setback as a result of Brexit.
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The Mid Ulster MLA received confirmation from the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs that the British Treasury will not be replacing £15.3m marked for the Bovine Tuberculosis Programme lost as a result of EU withdrawal.

He said: “Brexit continues to have a profound impact on agriculture, farming businesses and rural communities. This week DAERA has confirmed to me, in response to an Assembly question, that the North will lose out on £34 million of Rural Development funding, which will have a serious impact on rural communities.

“The Department has also confirmed to me that the British Treasury will not be replacing resource under the EU Fund for Disease Eradication to support the Bovine Tuberculosis Programme. This programme is worth £15.3m and the loss of resource will have a substantial impact on efforts to tackle bovine TB in the farming sector.

SDLP Agriculture spokesperson and Mid Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone.SDLP Agriculture spokesperson and Mid Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone.
SDLP Agriculture spokesperson and Mid Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone.

“It is astonishing that we have parties continuing to champion Brexit when it will clearly have a disastrous impact on communities and businesses across the North, particularly in the agri-food sector. It’s time people stopped burying their heads in the sand and started working on solutions to this crisis.”

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