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, Collins said TB levels in the region are above the national average and are a matter of “significant concern.” The event at the Listowel Arms Hotel drew a large crowd of farmers from across the region.
Collins said the department is very aware of the emotional and financial challenge that a bovine TB breakdown creates for farmers, their families and communities. He said the local rise is worrying and that the department is monitoring the situation closely.
In further comments, the minister said the rise in cases in north Kerry and west Limerick is being monitored on a day-to-day basis. He said he would engage with department officials in real time because the aim is to reverse the trend, given its significant impact on farmers, farm families and rural communities. Collins added that he has asked for more resources, including manpower, to be made available to local staff.
He also set out national funding and disease figures. Over €142 million was earmarked for bovine TB measures under Budget 2027, while existing valuation ceilings for reactor animals increased by €500.
Collins said the overall allocation is lower, but attributed this to a national reduction in bovine TB of about 10.9% compared with the same time last year. He said that while the recent local rise is worrying, there have been positive signs nationally in recent months as stakeholders have engaged with farmers to reduce the risk posed by the disease to Irish herds and rural communities.
According to the latest department statistics, over a 12-month period to September 27, 2026, national herd incidence was 5.40%, down from 6.08%. The number of restricted herds was 5,353, down 12%, and the number of reactors was over 36,374, down 9.5%. The minister said above-average levels of the disease still persist in various regions.
He said the national reduction reflects the combined efforts of all stakeholders in engaging with and supporting farmers to reduce the risk of bTB in their herds. He added that focusing those efforts locally, alongside the bTB Action Plan and changes introduced this year, should drive disease levels down further.
The Bovine TB Action Plan was launched in September 2025 and includes some 30 actions underpinned by scientific research, evidence and veterinary expertise. In April, changes were introduced to animal testing and animal movement requirements to reduce cattle-to-cattle transmission of TB.
Collins said the department’s continued focus is on reducing disease levels, which would in turn reduce the impact of bovine TB on farm families, lower the cost of the programme and decrease costs for farmers and taxpayers.