Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Burke for raising this very important issue. I know it is a cause of great concern. Even if I had not been engaging with farm organisations, since I got this role, on the area of TB and if I had not been pointing to the fact I need a new approach to the TB programme, which I would like to do through consensus, there is that concern with farmers already. The concern at the rise in the incidence of TB is palpable among farmers. Those who have it on their farms are very stressed and want a clear pathway out of their current restrictions, while those who do not have it do not want to get it and are very much afraid the rising incidence means they will get it.

Bovine TB is a challenging disease to control and eradicate. In recent years, bovine TB levels have continued to deteriorate. Herd incidence has increased from 4.31% in 2022 to 6.04% in 2024, resulting in a 36% increase in the number of herds restricted between those two years.

As of 11 May, over a 12-month period we had a herd incidence of 6.3% with more than 42,200 reactors. This disease is having an impact on farmers and their families both financially and emotionally throughout rural Ireland. At the February meeting of the TB forum, it was agreed that all stakeholders would provide proposals on new measures for inclusion in the TB programme aimed at reducing TB levels in cattle against the backdrop of surging disease levels. The TB forum met on 26 March, at which representatives presented their proposals for measures aimed at reducing the high levels of TB. The chair of the TB forum wrote to me following this meeting outlining discussions at the meeting. On 8 May, I held a TB summit to address the deteriorating TB disease levels with key stakeholders at which discussions were held on the most effective ways to mitigate the impact of bovine TB on farm families and to reduce herd incidence and spread of the disease. I have outlined on the record that I have 30 proposed actions across five key pillars. My approach is to try to get consensus. We will meet farm organisations and stakeholders again later this week. We cannot do business as usual, such are the numbers. We want to work together to ease this burden on farmers and the stress as well as the financial impact on them.

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