Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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299. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers who applied for compensation in relation to TB in the years 2023 to date in 2025; the number of whom received compensation; the number who received payments within three weeks of having submitted all required documentation, by year and by county; in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64033/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Ireland’s TB Eradication Programme has a comprehensive compensation regime in place for herd-owners who are affected by bovine TB.

The On Farm Market Valuation Scheme is the principal compensation measure available to Herd-owners whose herds are affected by a bovine TB breakdown in their herd. The Scheme aims to compensate farmers up to the open market value of an animal as if they were not affected by disease, subject to ceilings.

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 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. 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.

All OFMV payments are based on reactors disclosed, it’s not a case of eligibility. Therefore there is no set application. If a herdowner has reactors, they are paid for those reactors. For Income Supplement and Hardship payments there is also no application required, Regional offices assess eligibility for all herds in breakdown and herds that meet the conditions of the scheme are paid automatically.

In the table below and attached, total number of Compensation payments made under the TB Eradication Programme, based on DAFM AHCS figures.