The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is closely monitoring a bovine tuberculosis hotspot in north Kerry and west Limerick, where disease levels are running above the national average, Minister of State Niall Collins has said.
Addressing the Listowel Food Fair Farming Seminar on Monday, November 9, at the Listowel Arms Hotel, Collins told a large gathering of farmers from across the region that the department was very aware of the emotional and financial strain a TB breakdown places on farmers, their families and their communities.
He said there had been a worrying rise in bovine TB in north Kerry and in his own west Limerick, putting the area above the national average, and described the trend as an issue the department was monitoring and one of significant concern.
Budget 2027 provision
Collins said more than €142 million had been earmarked for bovine TB measures under Budget 2027, while existing valuation ceilings for reactor animals were increased by €500.
He attributed a lower overall allocation to a national reduction in bovine TB of about 10.9% compared with the same time last year.
According to the minister, the recent local rise contrasts with positive national signs in recent months, which he credited to all stakeholders engaging with farmers to reduce the risk the disease poses to Irish herds and rural communities. He said the department's continued focus was on lowering disease levels, which would in turn reduce the impact on farm families and cut costs for farmers and the taxpayer.
Action plan and testing changes
The Bovine TB Action Plan, launched in September 2025, sets out some 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 in order to reduce cattle-to-cattle transmission.
National figures
Department statistics covering the 12 months to September 27, 2026 show:
- national herd incidence of 5.40%, down from 6.08%;
- 5,353 herds restricted, a fall of 12%;
- more than 36,374 reactors, down 9.5%.
The department noted that above-average levels of the disease persist in various regions of the country.
Collins said the national reduction reflected the combined efforts of stakeholders in supporting farmers, and expressed confidence that focusing those efforts locally, alongside the action plan and this year's changes, would drive disease levels down further.
He told Agriland that the department was monitoring the rise in cases in north Kerry and west Limerick on a day-to-day basis, and that he would be engaging with his officials in real time in an effort to reverse the trend because of its significant impact on farmers, farm families and communities. He added that he had asked for more manpower to be made available to local staff.