Bovine tuberculosis (TB) levels in north Kerry and west Limerick are being closely monitored by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Minister of State Niall Collins said at a farming seminar in Listowel.
Addressing the Listowel Food Fair Farming Seminar on Monday, 9 November, Collins said the rise in bovine TB in north Kerry and his own west Limerick was above the national average. He described the issue as one of significant concern. The event at the Listowel Arms Hotel drew a large crowd of farmers from across the region.
Collins said DAFM was very aware of the emotional and financial challenge that a bovine TB breakdown creates for farmers, their families and their communities. He added that the local increase was worrying even as national figures showed improvement.
National decline, local pressure
Under Budget 2027, more than €142 million has been earmarked for bovine TB measures, Collins said, while existing valuation ceilings for reactor animals have been raised by €500. He said the overall allocation was lower because national bovine TB levels had fallen by about 10.9% compared with the same time last year.
The latest departmental statistics, for the 12-month period as of 27 September 2026, put national herd incidence at 5.40%, down from 6.08%. The number of restricted herds was 5,353, a decrease of 12%, and the number of reactors was over 36,374, down 9.5%.
Despite that national reduction, above-average levels of the disease persist in various regions. Collins said the national improvement reflected the combined efforts of stakeholders in engaging with and supporting farmers to reduce the risk of bovine TB in their herds.
He said 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.
Action plan and local resources
The Bovine TB Action Plan was launched in September 2025 and contains around 30 actions underpinned by scientific research, evidence and veterinary expertise. In April, changes were made to animal testing and animal movement requirements to reduce cattle-to-cattle transmission.
In further comments, 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.
Collins added that he had asked for more resources in terms of manpower to be made available to local staff to help them. He said the department's continued focus was on reducing disease levels, which would in turn reduce the impact on farm families and lower programme costs for farmers and taxpayers.