An emergency TB summit has been called by Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon to agree sweeping changes to the disease eradication programme.

A major revamp of the TB programme is expected to be announced following the emergency summit.

Minister Heydon warned that Irish farming had reached a “crossroads” in its efforts to control escalating TB levels.

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The crisis meeting will involve key farm sector stakeholders and will take place next Thursday 8 May.

“I intend to bring forward proposals for a revamped eradication plan following this meeting. These will be based on the best scientific and veterinary advice available,” Minister Heydon told the Irish Farmers Journal.

Eradication goal

“I am confident that if we take a robust scientific approach to controlling TB, not alone can we halt the increase of recent years but, in time, reduce it to a level where we can start working once again to our ultimate goal of eradication,” he added.

The herd incidence of TB has increased from 4.31% in 2022 to 6.04% in 2024. This is a 36% increase in the number of herds restricted in two years. The number of TB reactors this year is expected increase by 50% to over 60,000 animals.

Recent Department of Agriculture proposals to change the TB Eradication Programme were largely rejected by farm organisations.

Next week’s emergency meeting comes as Department spending on TB comes under increased scrutiny at both Irish and EU levels.