The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is closely monitoring a bovine tuberculosis hotspot in north Kerry and west Limerick, according to Minister of State Niall Collins, who described the rise in disease levels there as an issue of significant concern.
Speaking at 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 is very aware of the emotional and financial strain a TB breakdown places on farmers, their families and their wider communities.
Local rates running above the national average
Collins said levels of bovine TB in north Kerry, and in his own west Limerick area, have risen to a point above the national average. He described the trend as something the department is tracking and as a matter of significant concern, adding that it is being monitored closely.
Funding and valuation ceilings
More than €142 million has been earmarked for bovine TB measures under Budget 2027, and the existing valuation ceilings for reactor animals were increased by €500. According to Collins, the overall allocation is lower than previously because national bovine TB levels have fallen by around 10.9% compared with the same point last year.
He said that while the recent local increase is worrying, the national picture has shown positive signs in recent months, which he attributed to all stakeholders working with farmers to lower the risk the disease poses to Irish herds and to rural communities. The department's continuing focus, he said, is on reducing disease levels, which would in turn lessen the impact on farm families, cut the cost of the programme and reduce costs for farmers and taxpayers.
Action plan and testing changes
The Bovine TB Action Plan, launched in September 2025, sets out around 30 actions underpinned by scientific research, evidence and veterinary expertise. In April, a number of changes to animal testing and animal movement requirements were introduced with the aim of reducing transmission of TB from cattle to cattle.
National figures improving
Department statistics covering the 12 months to September 27, 2026 show national herd incidence at 5.40%, down from 6.08%. The number of restricted herds stood at 5,353, a decline of 12%, while reactors numbered more than 36,374, down 9.5%. Above-average levels of the disease nonetheless persist in a number of regions around the country.
Collins said the national reduction reflects the combined efforts of stakeholders in engaging with and supporting farmers to reduce risk in their herds, and expressed confidence that focusing those efforts locally, alongside the action plan and the changes introduced this year, will push disease levels down further.
He told Agriland that his department is monitoring the rise in cases in north Kerry and west Limerick on a day-to-day basis, and that he will engage with departmental officials in real time because the objective is to reverse the trend, given its significant impact on farmers, farm families and communities. He added that he has asked for additional manpower to be made available to local staff to support that work.