Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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1831. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will review the maximum valuation given for TB reactor cattle to bring it in line with current market value for cattle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47219/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides a range of financial supports that focus on compensating farmers for both direct and indirect losses incurred as a result of a TB breakdown on the farm.

The On Farm Market Valuation scheme provides compensation to affected herdowners up to the market value that each individual animal would have attained on the open market had it not been affected by disease.  

As the Deputy may be aware, when a herd goes down with TB, the herdowner selects a valuer from an independent panel of livestock experts who visit the holding to value the animals on farm using up to date market values. Each week my Department issues ‘Summary Market Prices’ which are compiled of sales data collected nationally from marts by my Department and accurately reflect current values for each category of animal, ensuring that affected farmers receive appropriate value for their animal(s).

My Department does not have any role or influence in the process of valuing animals under the scheme, this process is wholly independent.  My Department is given the right to appeal valuations just as affected herdowner/keepers have such a right.

Once a valuation has been agreed by both parties, the animals are removed for slaughter.  On receipt of factory dockets detailing the salvage value, my Department issues payment for the remainder of the valuation bringing the amount up to the market value assigned by the independent valuer subject to certain ceiling limits.

In addition to the compensation package for eligible reactor animals that are removed during a TB breakdown, my Department operates three supplementary schemes that assist farmers with the indirect losses incurred as a result of a TB breakdown on their farm

The Income Supplement Scheme is a targeted scheme which assists farmers who lose 9.5% or more of their herd to disease due to a single TB breakdown. Income supplement is only payable in cases where the 9.5% threshold is met in one continuous restriction period and where full Depopulation is not deemed an appropriate measure. 

The Hardship Grant is a targeted scheme aimed at assisting eligible herd-owners who retain and feed animals during prolonged periods of restriction as a result of a TB breakdown and that have more animals than the same period in the previous year. The scheme runs each year for herds restricted between November 1st and April 30th.

Depopulation Grant is paid for each animal removed in the depopulation measure and for those herds that are partial or fully depopulated on foot of a veterinary decision made on analysis of the overall TB disease situation within a herd.

As part of the work of the TB Forum, a dedicated Financial Working Group was established to review the financial modelling of various elements of the Bovine TB Eradication programme. As a result of the agreement reached in this Group, over the last two years there were rate enhancements to the Income Supplement Scheme, the Hardship Grant and the Depopulation Grant as well as enhanced ceilings for select animals being removed as part of the On Farm Market Valuation Scheme.  In addition, the Financial Working Group also expanded the eligibility criteria under the Income Supplement Scheme and Hardship Grant Schemes.

Due to the increased cost of the bTB programme in recent years, the focus is on reducing the levels of disease which will reduce the impact of bTB on Irish farm families and reduce the cost of the programme which has risen to over €100 million in 2024.