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 the department was very aware of the emotional and financial challenge a TB breakdown creates for farmers, their families and communities. The event drew a large attendance of farmers from across the region.
Local rise exceeds national average
Collins described a worrying rise in bovine TB levels in north Kerry and in his own west Limerick. He said the local level was above the national average and was being monitored as an issue of significant concern.
He said that more than €142 million had been earmarked for bovine TB measures under Budget 2027, while existing valuation ceilings for reactor animals had been raised by €500. The overall allocation was lower, he explained, because nationally bovine TB had fallen by about 10.9% compared with the same time last year.
Collins said the national reduction showed positive signs in recent months and credited engagement by all stakeholders with farmers to reduce the risk posed by the disease to Irish herds and rural communities. He said the department’s continuing focus was on lowering 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.
Action plan and testing changes
The Bovine TB Action Plan, launched in September 2025, contains around 30 actions supported 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.
Latest department statistics, covering the 12 months to September 27, 2026, put national herd incidence at 5.40%, down from 6.08%. The number of restricted herds stood at 5,353, a decline of 12%, and the number of reactors was more than 36,374, down 9.5%.
Despite that national improvement, above-average disease levels persist in various regions. Collins said he was confident that focusing efforts locally, alongside the action plan and the changes introduced this year, would drive disease levels down further.
He added that the department was monitoring the rise in TB cases in north Kerry and west Limerick on a day-to-day basis and that he would engage with department officials in real time. The aim, he said, was to reverse the trend because of its significant impact on farmers, farm families and communities. Collins also said he had asked for more manpower to be made available to local staff to help them.