Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
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123. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will step up effective efforts in conjunction with the farming organisations to agree on and put in place a TB scheme that will include dealing with ineffective wildlife in all DVO areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36623/25]

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. As of 22^nd June 2025, over a 12 month period we had a herd incidence of 6.43 % with over 43,455 reactors. This disease is having an impact on our farmers and their families both financially and emotionally throughout rural Ireland.

Following extensive discussions at the TB Forum, I met TB stakeholders on 8 May and farming organisations on 22 May with a view to agreeing an action plan for bovine TB on the most effective ways to mitigate the impact of bTB on farm families and to reduce herd incidence and spread of the disease.

At these meetings I presented 5 key pillars to address the current rates of bTB:

1. Support herds free of bTB to remain free
2. Reduce the impact of wildlife on the spread of bTB
3. Detect and eliminate bTB infection as early as possible in herds with a TB breakdown and avoid a future breakdown
4. Help farmers improve all areas of on farm biosecurity
5. Reduce the impact of known high risk animals in spreading bTB