Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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746. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which the increase in TB expenditure announced in Budget 2026 will be spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55108/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Bovine TB is an ongoing challenge for Irish farmers. I am acutely aware of the emotional and financial impacts of bovine TB on farmers, their families and rural Ireland. In recent years we have seen a significant increase in bTB levels nationally with over 6,000 farm families affected by a bTB outbreak in 2024 and herd incidence was at 6.04%.

The primary driver of the cost of the bTB programme is disease levels. In 2024, the bTB programme cost €100m, an increase of 35% on 2023. For this year up to 30th September just under €80 million has spent on the TB programme.

I secured an increased budget allocation of €85 million for bTB in Budget 2026, providing a total budget of €157 million. This additional funding is vital in addressing this disease and I am confident it will help drive down the incidences of bovine TB levels for future years.

This investment in the bTB programme will support additional targeted testing, additional resources for the wildlife programme and supporting on farm biosecurity through both direct support to farmers for improving biosecurity infrastructure on their farms and facilitating more engagement between farmers and their private veterinary practitioners through Targeted Advisory Service on Animal Health (TASAH) visits.

I published the Bovine TB Action Plan, “Addressing Bovine TB in Ireland”, on 9 September. The Action Plan follows extensive discussions with stakeholders in recent months. The Action Plan is based on scientific research and veterinary expertise. There are five measures, which are underpinned by 30 actions:

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 bTB 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