Irish Examiner view: We need to eradicate TB for good

In the current programme for government, 2030 is set as the aspirational date for the final eradication of the disease from the national herd but that appears optimistic at this moment

Reduce the risk of spreading TB from neighbouring herd owners by ensuring all boundary fences are stockproof thus preventing close contact of stock.

Tuberculosis in Ireland has had a tragic and unforgettable human cost, having taken as many as 10,000 lives a year in Dublin alone at one point, in between its epidemic years of 1880 to 1950.

Poor housing, overcrowding, and starvation were the main reasons TB struck terror throughout the country, from the tenements of the capital city to the smallest rural communities.