Bovine tuberculosis (TB) levels in north Kerry and west Limerick are running above the national average and are being monitored closely by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Minister of State Niall Collins has said.
Speaking at the Listowel Food Fair Farming Seminar at the Listowel Arms Hotel on Monday, November 9, the minister described the regional rise as an issue of "significant concern" and said the department is "very aware of the emotional and financial challenge" that a TB breakdown creates for farmers, their families and their communities.
He said the increase in north Kerry and in his own west Limerick was above the national average and was something his officials were tracking.
Funding and valuation ceilings
Minister Collins told the seminar that more than €142 million has been earmarked for bovine TB measures under Budget 2027, and that existing valuation ceilings have been raised by €500 for reactor animals.
He said the overall allocation is lower than previously, which he attributed to a national reduction in bovine TB of about 10.9% compared with the same time last year.
He said that while the local rise is worrying, nationally there have been positive signs in recent months, which he credited to engagement with farmers by all stakeholders to lower the risk the disease poses to Irish herds and rural communities.
Action plan and testing changes
The Bovine TB Action Plan, launched in September 2025, contains around 30 actions that the department says are underpinned by scientific research, evidence and veterinary expertise. In April, changes were introduced to animal testing and animal movement requirements aimed at reducing transmission of the disease from cattle to cattle.
According to the latest department statistics, covering the 12 months to September 27, 2026, national herd incidence stood at 5.40%, down from 6.08%. The number of restricted herds fell 12% to 5,353, and the number of reactors fell 9.5% to more than 36,374.
The minister said the national reduction reflects combined efforts by stakeholders to support farmers in lowering the risk of bTB in their herds, while acknowledging that above-average levels persist in several regions of the country.
He added that the department's continued focus is on reducing disease levels, which he said would in turn reduce the impact of bovine TB on farm families, cut the cost of the programme and lower costs for farmers and taxpayers.
Day-to-day monitoring
Minister Collins said the department is monitoring the rise in cases in north Kerry and west Limerick "on a day-to-day basis", and that he would engage with departmental officials in real time because he wants to try to reverse the trend.
He added that he has asked for more resources, in terms of manpower, to be made available to local staff to help them.