Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
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127. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to ensure that staffing levels in the Naas District Veterinary Office are examined given the urgency of addressing the high incidence of bovine TB in County Laois; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25498/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Bovine TB is a challenging disease to control and eradicate. In recent years, bovine TB (bTB) 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 2022 and 2024. This means over 6,000 farm families were affected by a TB outbreak in 2024.

As of 11th May 2025, over a 12 month period we had a national herd incidence of 6.3% with over 42,200 reactors. This disease is having an impact on our farmers and their families both financially and emotionally throughout rural Ireland.

As at 11th May 2025 the 12 month rolling herd incidence for Co. Laois was 7.82% compared to 6.30% nationally.

This is leading to emotional and financial stress for the farmers and their families including those in county Laois who have suffered a TB outbreak and also for the farmers and their families living in fear of having a TB outbreak and are worried about the impact it could have on their livelihood.

My Department is committed to ensuring that a skilled and motivated workforce is in place to meet its priority business needs. To achieve this, workforce planning is utilised in identifying and addressing the needs for all our locations including our network of Regional Veterinary Offices.

All critical staffing vacancies are filled as soon as possible when suitable candidates become available, considering the balance of needs and resources across my Department. Recruitment is currently underway in the Department to fill vacancies through the standard recruitment mechanisms and my Department aims to minimise any delays in finalising assignments.