Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue, which I know is of concern to his constituents in Cavan-Monaghan. On 8 May, I held a TB summit with key stakeholders where discussions were held on the most effective ways to mitigate the impact of bovine TB on farm families and reduce herd incidence and spread of the disease. The backdrop to this meeting was the need to address the deteriorating bovine TB disease levels. Herd incidence increased from 4.31% in 2022 to 6.04% in 2024, which was a 36% increase in the number of herds restricted. Over 6,000 farm families were affected by a TB outbreak in 2024.

At the summit, I presented 30 potential actions underpinned by five key pillars to address the current rates of bovine TB: first, to support herds free of bovine TB to remain free; second, to reduce the impact of wildlife on the spread of bovine TB; third, to detect and eliminate bovine TB infection as early as possible in herds with a TB breakdown and avoid a future breakdown; fourth, to help farmers improve all areas of on farm biosecurity; and fifth; to reduce the impact of known high-risk animals in spreading bovine TB.

As part of this engagement, a proposal to restrict the sale of certain cows from breeding herds of greater than 60 cows that have had an outbreak of TB with three or more standard reactors in the previous three years to other breeding herds was discussed. Only cows present as part of the milking group at the time of breakdown would have such a restriction imposed. This would not apply to calves or replacement animals in these herds if there were no reactors in those groups of animals. This proposal is aimed at ensuring residual or undetected infection does not enter into clear herds inadvertently through the sale of these high-risk animals. The risk of these animals having residual infection is highest in the first three years following a clear test, hence the necessity for ensuring these animals do not go on to transmit infection into clear herds. I will expand further in my supplementary response.

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