The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is closely monitoring a bovine tuberculosis hotspot in north Kerry and west Limerick, where infection levels are running above the national average, Minister of State Niall Collins has said.
Speaking at the Listowel Food Fair Farming Seminar on Monday, November 9, Collins said the trend in north Kerry and his own west Limerick was worrying and of significant concern. The event at the Listowel Arms Hotel attracted a large attendance of farmers from across the region.
Collins said the department recognised the emotional and financial strain that a bovine TB breakdown places on farmers, their families and communities. He said the local increase was being watched against a background of national improvement.
Budget and national trends
More than €142 million has been earmarked for bovine TB measures under Budget 2027, Collins told the seminar. Valuation ceilings for reactor animals have also been raised by €500. He said the overall allocation is lower than before because national bovine TB levels are about 10.9% lower than at the same point last year.
Department statistics covering the 12 months to September 27, 2026 show national herd incidence at 5.40%, down from 6.08%. The number of restricted herds fell 12% to 5,353, while reactors numbered more than 36,374, a decline of 9.5%.
Collins said the national reduction reflected joint efforts by stakeholders to help farmers lower the risk of bTB in their herds. Even so, he acknowledged that above-average disease levels persist in some regions, including the north Kerry and west Limerick area. He added that the department's continued focus is on reducing disease levels, which is intended to reduce the impact on farm families, cut programme costs and lower costs for farmers and taxpayers.
Action plan and local response
The Bovine TB Action Plan, launched in September 2025, contains about 30 actions based on scientific research, evidence and veterinary expertise. In April, changes were made to animal testing and movement requirements in an effort to reduce cattle-to-cattle transmission.
Collins said he was confident that focusing efforts locally, alongside the action plan and this year’s changes, would bring disease levels down further. He said the department is monitoring the rise in cases in north Kerry and west Limerick on a day-to-day basis.
He said he would engage with department officials in real time because the aim is to reverse the trend, given its impact on farmers, farm families and rural communities. Collins added that he has asked for more manpower to be made available to local staff to support that work.