61. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the TB incidence rate in 2019 and 2025; the amount spent by the State in support of its eradication; and the related new obligations which have been introduced since 2019. [52299/26]

I am aware of the ongoing emotional and financial challenge for Irish farmers of a Bovine TB (bTB) breakdown. In recent years there has been a significant increase in bTB levels nationally. The reasons underpinning current high levels of bTB incidence are the expansion of the dairy herd resulting in increased levels of intensive cattle farming and the increased movement of cattle. These conditions allow heightened susceptibility to disease, whether that is bTB or any other infectious disease. At the end of 2019 bTB herd incidence was 3.72% compared with 5.72% in 2025. Table 1 below shows the bTB Incidence rates for each year from 2019 to 2025.

There has been encouraging progress in recent months in reducing bTB levels. As of 28th June 2026, over a 12-month period the herd incidence was 5.32% down from 6.40%. This is due to the combined efforts of all stakeholders in engaging with farmers to reduce the risk bTB poses to Irish herds and rural communities.

Due to the increased cost of the bTB programme in recent years, the focus at present is on reducing the levels of disease which will reduce the impact of bTB on Irish farm families and reduce the cost of the programme which has risen to over €121 million in 2025. The cost of the TB Eradication Programme for years 2019 to 2025 can be found in table 2 below.

Since 2019 a number of new policies were introduced as follows

• Aligning changes with EU Animal Law bTB regulations introduced that cows of all ages and males over the age of 36 months required additional testing.

• The use of Gamma Interferon Test (GIF test), which is a blood test to detect bovine TB (bTB) infection. The level of bTB infection in the herd determines whether the GIF test will be used. It is used in herds where bTB is present and has spread within the group of cattle tested.

• GIF testing has also been extended to reduce the risk from inconclusive animals.

In addition to these measures the Financial Working Group agreed on a number of enhancements to the suite of compensation measures available to farmers who experience a TB breakdown in 2023.

With the recent increased levels of disease, I launched the ‘Bovine TB Action Plan: Addressing Bovine TB in Ireland’ in September 2025. The aim of the Action Plan is to reset the TB programme by putting in place measures necessary to tackle the current disease situation.

As part of the implementation of the Action Plan, on 13 April 2026 there were a number of changes introduced to animal testing and animal movement requirements to the bTB programme to reduce the transmission of bTB from cattle to cattle including:

• The removal of the post-movement test option for all cows and for males over 36 months of age.

• All dairy cows moving into a breeding herd now require a 30-day pre-movement test

• 30-day pre-movement testing for contract reared heifers.

• The introduction of mandatory GIF testing in large breakdowns of breeding herds (this now applies to herds in a bTB restriction on or after 13 April 2026)

• Restriction on sale of exposed cohorts where GIF tests are carried out in larger breeding herds for a period of two years after the removal of the last reactor (this now applies to herds in a bTB restriction on or after 13 April 2026)

I believe that, working collaboratively with stakeholders, we can further bring down the incidence of Bovine TB.

Table 1: Bovine TB Herd Incidence rate for years 2019 to 2025:

Table 2: Cost of TB Eradication Programme for years 2019 to 2025:

Expenditure ('000)