Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Unfortunately, there have been four outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in turkey flocks since early November, one each in counties Carlow, Meath, Monaghan and, most recently, Laois. I express my sympathy to the flock owners concerned. I acknowledge the worry this situation is causing to all those in the poultry industry in Ireland. These outbreaks follow the detection of the H5N1 avian influenza virus in wild birds across the country throughout 2025. It is this ongoing circulation in wild birds that is posing such a risk to poultry and captive birds. Biosecurity is the most effective way to prevent the virus infecting flocks, and this is why I implemented mandatory poultry biosecurity regulations on 1 November and a housing order for poultry and captive birds from 10 November.

The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 provides that compensation to owners of animals may be payable if a cull of those animals is directed by my Department in the event of an outbreak in that herd or flock of certain diseases, including highly pathogenic avian influenza. The compensation may relate to the animal that is culled, or to an animal product, animal feed or similar item that is destroyed in relation to the outbreak. The compensation may not exceed the open market value of the animal or item. Since 2017, my Department has engaged an external consultancy firm with specialised knowledge of poultry to develop valuation tables relating to the most common species and types of poultry in Ireland to be used to determine compensation payable in the case of an outbreak of poultry disease that necessitates a cull. These valuation tables are updated on a six-monthly basis.

It is important that this be taken on a case-by-case basis because no two cases are the same. The impact on the financial viability and valuation of the birds at a set time is continuously upgraded. It means that, where a flock owner enters the worst case imaginable of having to have their entire culled, there is a process there for them to engage with that is fair and up to date. My Department is engaging with owners impacted by recent poultry outbreaks in assessing the compensation due to them where depopulation of their flocks and destruction of related material has been directed to control the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

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