Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 May 2026
101. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine following the roll-out of the TB action plan, if the current compensation arrangements, including the €3,000 cap, are being reviewed to ensure that farmers are not financially disadvantaged where the market value of animals exceeds the compensation available under the new system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35630/26]
View answerBovine 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.
I have secured an increased budget for bTB in Budget 2026 and I am confident that this will allow the revamped bTB programme to focus on tackling disease levels through the implementation of the measures laid out in the new bTB Action Plan.
It will support and enable farm families who are currently dealing with the stress of a TB outbreak to navigate a way out of a TB restriction and protect those herds currently free from TB from the stress of a TB outbreak.
The objective of the new measures in the Bovine TB Action Plan is to reduce the number of farms affected by bTB and decrease costs for all stakeholders.
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 primary support scheme is the On Farm Market Valuation scheme where animals removed as reactors receive compensation subject to scheme ceilings equivalent to their market value in the event they were not disclosed as TB reactors.
In 2025 of the 40,583 animals valued under the On Farm Market Valuation scheme just under 90% of animals were valued below the scheme ceilings.
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, the Hardship Grant and the Depopulation Grant.
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.
Market prices of animals continue to be monitored, however the focus at present 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 €121 million in 2025.
