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, describing the rise in local disease levels as a matter of significant concern.
Speaking at the Listowel Food Fair Farming Seminar at the Listowel Arms Hotel on Monday, November 9, Collins told a large crowd of farmers from across the region that TB levels in north Kerry and in his own west Limerick are above the national average and have been rising in a worrying way.
He said the department was very aware of the emotional and financial challenge that a bovine TB breakdown creates for farmers, their families and their wider communities.
The minister said more than €142 million had been earmarked for bovine TB measures under Budget 2027, and that existing valuation ceilings for reactor animals had been raised by €500.
He explained that the overall allocation is lower than before, which he attributed to a national reduction in bovine TB of about 10.9% compared with the same time last year.
The Bovine TB Action Plan, launched in September 2025, contains around 30 actions underpinned by scientific research, evidence and veterinary expertise. In April, changes to animal testing and animal movement requirements were introduced with the aim of reducing transmission of TB from cattle to cattle.
National herd figures
The latest department statistics, covering the 12 months to September 27, 2026, show national herd incidence at 5.40%, down from 6.08%. The number of herds restricted stood at 5,353, a fall of 12%, while the number of reactors was over 36,374, down 9.5%.
Despite that national improvement, above-average levels of the disease persist in several regions across the country.
Collins said the national reduction reflected the combined efforts of all stakeholders in engaging with and supporting farmers to lower the risk of bTB in their herds, and he was confident that focusing those efforts locally, alongside the action plan and this year's changes, would drive disease levels down further.
He said the department's continued focus is on reducing disease levels, which would in turn reduce the impact of bovine TB on farm families, cut the cost of the programme and lower costs for farmers and taxpayers.
He told Agriland that the department is monitoring the rise in TB cases in north Kerry and west Limerick on a day-to-day basis, and that he would engage with his officials in real time because the aim is to reverse the trend given its significant impact on farmers, farm families and communities. He added that he has asked for more resources, in terms of manpower, to be made available to local staff.