To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail (i) the increase in badger population in Northern Ireland in the last 20 years; (ii) how this compares with other regions of the UK and Ireland; (iii) how this increase has impacted on other wildlife populations, including hedgehog and bumble bee populations; and (iv) the proportion of the badger population infected with tuberculosis in Northern Ireland.

(i) The last survey of badgers in Northern Ireland was in 2007/8, estimating a total population of 34,100 (7,600 social groups) with no significant change in the badger population from that recorded during the previous survey in 1990-1993. There has been no more recent survey.

(ii) There is no directly comparable data available to address this part of the member’s question.

(iii) Badgers are known to feed on both hedgehogs and bumblebees, but the impact on those populations is unclear. Factors such as increased use of pesticides, road mortality and loss of suitable habitat are more likely to impact bumblebee and hedgehog populations at a national level.

(iv) The proportion of the badger population infected with TB is estimated from the proportion of infected badgers recovered as Road Traffic casualties and has varied from year to year. Over the past ten years, this has ranged from 14.1% in 2015 to 22.9% in 2022.