Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Niall Collins has described a bovine tuberculosis (TB) hotspot in north Kerry and west Limerick as a matter of "significant concern," saying his department is closely monitoring the situation.
Speaking at the Listowel Food Fair Farming Seminar on Monday, Collins told a large gathering of farmers at the Listowel Arms Hotel that TB levels in north Kerry and in his own west Limerick were above the national average and had shown a worrying rise. He said the department was very aware of the emotional and financial strain that a TB breakdown places on farmers, their families and their communities.
Budget and national trend
Collins said more than €142 million had been earmarked for bovine TB measures under Budget 2027. Existing valuation ceilings for reactor animals were increased by €500, he added. The overall allocation was lower, he explained, because national bovine TB levels had fallen by about 10.9% compared with the same time last year.
He said that while the local increase was worrying, there had been positive signs nationally in recent months. He attributed the reduction to efforts by all stakeholders to engage with farmers and lower the risk that TB poses to Irish herds and rural communities. The department's continuing focus, he said, was on reducing disease levels, which would in turn reduce the impact on farm families, the cost of the programme and the costs borne by farmers and taxpayers.
National figures
The latest department statistics, covering the 12 months to September 27, 2026, show national herd incidence at 5.40%, down from 6.08%. The number of restricted herds was 5,353, a fall of 12%, while the number of reactors was more than 36,374, down 9.5%.
Despite those national improvements, above-average levels of the disease persist in various regions. Collins said the national reduction reflected combined efforts by stakeholders to support farmers in reducing the risk of bovine TB in their herds. He added that he was confident that focusing those efforts locally, alongside the Bovine TB Action Plan and the changes introduced this year, would drive disease levels down further.
Local monitoring
The Bovine TB Action Plan was launched in September 2025 and includes about 30 actions underpinned by scientific research, evidence and veterinary expertise. In April, changes were introduced to animal testing and animal movement requirements in an effort to reduce cattle-to-cattle transmission.
Collins said the department was monitoring the rise in TB cases in north Kerry and west Limerick on a day-to-day basis. He said he would engage with departmental officials in real time because the aim was to reverse the trend, given its significant impact on farmers, farm families and communities. He also said he had asked for more manpower resources to be made available to local staff to help them respond.