The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is closely monitoring a bovine tuberculosis (TB) hotspot in north Kerry and west Limerick, where disease levels are running above the national average, Minister of State Niall Collins has said.
Speaking at the Listowel Food Fair Farming Seminar, Collins said the rise in TB in north Kerry and his own west Limerick was worrying and was being watched by the department. He described a TB breakdown as an emotional and financial challenge for farmers, their families and their communities.
National picture improves
The latest department figures, covering the 12 months to September 27, 2026, show national herd incidence at 5.40%, down from 6.08%. Restricted herds fell 12% to 5,353, while the number of reactors was more than 36,374, down 9.5%.
Collins said the national reduction reflected efforts by all stakeholders to engage with farmers and reduce the risk TB poses to Irish herds and rural communities. He added that the department's focus was on lowering disease levels to cut the impact on farm families, the cost of the programme and costs for farmers and taxpayers.
Budget and action plan
More than €142 million has been earmarked for bovine TB measures under Budget 2027, Collins told the seminar. Valuation ceilings for reactor animals have risen by €500.
He said the overall allocation was lower because national TB levels had fallen by about 10.9% compared with the same time last year.
The Bovine TB Action Plan, launched in September 2025, contains about 30 actions supported by scientific research, evidence and veterinary expertise, according to the minister. In April, changes were introduced to animal testing and movement requirements to reduce transmission of TB from cattle to cattle.
Local monitoring
Despite the national decline, above-average disease levels persist in several regions. Collins said the department was monitoring the north Kerry and west Limerick increase on a day-to-day basis and that he would engage with officials in real time to try to reverse the trend.
He said he had asked for more manpower to be made available to local staff to help them. He also expressed confidence that focusing efforts locally, alongside the action plan and this year's changes, would drive disease levels down further.