THE Irish Veterinary Union has decided to take part in the new privatised bovine TB eradication scheme, which is due to start on April 1st.
The IVU, which represents nearly 1,000 private veterinary practitioners, had balloted its members on the new scheme, which places the onus on farmers to arrange and pay for a mandatory test of cattle annually.
Until now the Department arranged and paid for the annual test and the farmers paid a levy for the service. This levy has now been substantially reduced.
The scheme, proposed by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Mr Yates, with farmer support and in the face of strong IVU opposition, also drops the requirement on farmers to carry out a test on animals before moving them on or off a farm.
The IVU president, Mr Michael Hanley, said last night the union had decided to take part in the new scheme for a one year trial period.
He pledged, however, that the vets would continue to oppose the removal of the mandatory pre-movement test which vets fear would spread the disease throughout the country.
"We will be reviewing our position on this element of the scheme at our annual general meeting in December, but as of now we will operate the scheme," he said.
The union was involved in a bitter dispute with the Department of Agriculture last year when the vets refused to rotate their testing practices with rival vets to satisfy the demands of the EU.