Bovine tuberculosis (TB) levels in north Kerry and west Limerick are running above the national average, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) Niall Collins said, describing the local rise as a significant concern.
Speaking at the Listowel Food Fair Farming Seminar on Monday, November 9, Collins said DAFM was closely monitoring the hotspot. The event at the Listowel Arms Hotel drew a large crowd of farmers from across the region.
The minister said the department recognised the emotional and financial strain a TB breakdown places on farmers, their families and communities. He noted that the increase in north Kerry and his own west Limerick was worrying and remained under observation.
Funding and programme changes
Collins said more than €142 million had been earmarked for bovine TB measures under Budget 2027. The existing valuation ceilings for reactor animals were also raised by €500.
He said the overall allocation was lower, explaining that this reflected a national reduction in bovine TB of about 10.9% compared with the same time last year. While the local rise was concerning, he pointed to positive national signs in recent months, which he attributed to stakeholders working with farmers to reduce risk to herds and rural communities.
The department’s focus remained on lowering disease levels, which would in turn reduce the impact on farm families, the cost of the programme and costs for farmers and taxpayers, he added.
Action plan and national figures
The Bovine TB Action Plan, launched in September 2025, contains around 30 actions based on scientific research, evidence and veterinary expertise. In April, changes were introduced to animal testing and movement requirements to reduce cattle-to-cattle transmission.
Latest departmental statistics, covering the 12 months to September 27, 2026, showed national herd incidence at 5.40%, down from 6.08%. The number of restricted herds fell 12% to 5,353, while reactors numbered more than 36,374, down 9.5%.
Despite that national improvement, above-average disease levels persisted in several regions. Collins said the national reduction reflected combined efforts by stakeholders to engage and support farmers in lowering bTB risk in their herds.
He expressed confidence that focusing those efforts locally, alongside the action plan and this year’s changes, would drive disease levels down further.
Collins added that 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. He also said he had asked for more manpower to be made available to local staff.