A Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) action plan has been launched by Martin Heydon, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The Bovine TB Action Plan Addressing Bovine TB in Ireland is in response to the increasing level of the disease in Ireland.
In 2024, over 6,000 farms were affected by a bTB outbreak as the herd incidence increased to 6.04%.
The operating cost of the national bovine TB programme stood at €100.616 million in 2024.
The publication of bTB action plan follows extensive discussions at the TB Forum and meetings between the Minister, stakeholders and farm organisations in recent months.
Minister Heydon has also received the support and approval of his Cabinet colleagues on 24 June to address the current high levels of bTB as a matter of urgency.
Scientific research and veterinary expertise
According to the Minister Heydon, the Bovine TB Action Plan is based is based on scientific research and veterinary expertise.
The plan has set out 5 measures covering farming practice and wildlife.
These are:
Support herds free of bTB to remain free
Reduce the impact of wildlife on the spread of bTB
Detect and eliminate bTB infection as early as possible in herds with a bTB breakdown and avoid a future breakdown
Help farmers improve all areas of on-farm biosecurity
Reduce the impact of known high-risk animals in spreading bTB
According to DAFM, these measures are targeting both transmission between wildlife and cattle and transmission between cattle where the disease risk is highest in order to meaningfully reduce disease levels.
The plan outlines an implementation roadmap covering 30 actions that will be undertaken to combat the spread of bTB on Irish farms.
Minister Heydon said, “This plan provides an opportunity to address this disease and I would like to thank all farmers and stakeholders for their input in getting this plan here today. I believe that if we work together we can stop the increase of bTB in recent years and over time reduce bTB levels. We all can then look to the future and work towards our ultimate goal of bTB eradication.”
Badgers
Under the Bovine TB action plan, the snaring and killing of badgers by DAFM contractors will continue. The plan outlines that badgers that test positive for bTB will be culled. The number of contractors to snare and kill badger will be increased by 30%. Wildlife programme personnel will cover vaccine and badger snaring/killing areas a minimum of twice per annum.Population management and additional surveying and badger captures within 1km and 2km of a bTB breakdown will be carried out.
The DAFM will put in place a bespoke wildlife removal programme in areas where a high incidence of bTB has been recorded. Farmers will be given access to a support package to improve in on-farm badger biosecurity. In respect of deer and their role in bTB transmission, the ongoing killing of deer species by Deer Management Stakeholder Group (DMSG) under the guise of deer control will be supported by the DAFM.
Ireland has been dealing with Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) since 1950 when the first eradication programme was established. The launch of yet another plan by the Department of Agriculture to remove this disease from Irish farms would suggest that Ireland is no closer to achieving that aim, while Irish wildlife continues to pay a lethal price for farmers failing to adhere to bovine tuberculosis prevention measures on their farms.
Read: The Bovine TB Action Plan Addressing Bovine TB in Ireland
www.bovinetb.ie
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