The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is closely monitoring a bovine tuberculosis (TB) hotspot in north Kerry and west Limerick, Minister of State Niall Collins has said. Speaking at the Listowel Food Fair Farming Seminar on Monday, November 9, at the Listowel Arms Hotel, Collins said TB levels in the region are above the national average and are a significant concern. The event attracted a large attendance of farmers from across the region.
Collins said the department was very aware of the emotional and financial challenge that a bovine TB breakdown creates for farmers, their families and communities. He described the local rise as worrying, while noting that national trends had improved. According to the minister, more than €142 million has been earmarked for bovine TB measures under Budget 2027, and existing valuation ceilings for reactor animals have been increased by €500.
He said the overall allocation is lower because bovine TB nationally has fallen by about 10.9% compared with the same time last year. Collins added that recent months had shown positive signs in reducing disease levels, which he attributed to efforts by all stakeholders to engage with farmers and lower the risk to Irish herds and rural communities. The department’s focus, he said, remains on reducing disease levels, the programme’s cost and the burden on farmers and taxpayers.
The Bovine TB Action Plan, launched in September 2025, contains about 30 actions underpinned by scientific research, evidence and veterinary expertise. In April, changes were introduced to animal testing and movement requirements in order to reduce cattle-to-cattle transmission. Latest departmental statistics 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 reactors numbered more than 36,374, a decline of 9.5%.
The minister said above-average disease levels still persist in various regions. He argued that the national reduction reflects combined efforts by stakeholders to support farmers in reducing bTB risk in their herds, and expressed confidence that focusing those efforts locally, alongside the action plan and this year’s changes, would drive disease levels lower.
Collins also said the department is 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 is to reverse the trend, given its impact on farmers, farm families and communities. He added that he has asked for more manpower resources to be made available to local staff to help them respond.