The Department of Agriculture has stated that it plans on ploughing ahead with tying TB compensation payments into farmers’ adherence with herd-specific risk mitigation plans less than one month after Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon ruled the idea out.
The plans cover farm biosecurity and cattle trading measures that may go beyond the standards set down in law, drawn up for herds with three or more reactors identified during a breakdown.
They are currently required under animal health regulations and are in place in paper format, but the Department not know how many of them are in existence and with no compliance checks carried out at present.
A proposal to link compensation with farmers’ decisions on risk had been outlined by the Department as an option for consideration in the lead up to the publication of revamped TB measures in September.
But on launching the updated strategy, Minister Heydon had told the Irish Farmers Journal that: “I took that away because I thought that that was something very difficult to have there in the mix.”
“Farmers don’t want to be in this position,” the minister commented, saying the preferred approach was “as far as possible, trying to incentivise farmers, making them aware, giving them their own information, making them aware of what risk looks like.”
However, in responding to a new report recommendation from the independent oversight body for the spending public funds, the Department has agreed to “align compliance with risk mitigation plans and compensation in the event of future breakdowns” from Q2 2026.
The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General report states that it was informed by the Department that “procedures regarding checks on compliance and consequences for non-compliance with risk mitigation plans are currently at an advanced stage of development”.
Further recommendations
The report has also advised the Department to come forward in early 2026 with a target date for bovine TB eradication that is “appropriate and realistic,” as well as short to medium-term intermediate targets.
The report stated that targets should be set for monitoring the eradication programme’s performance other than the number of TB tests carried out, as it is “not clear” the link this metric has with disease levels.
The Department must set more targets for the performance of the eradication programme, a new report has said. \ Donal O'Leary
It lists three targets which should be considered by the Department: the number of badger vaccinations, the number of risk mitigation plans verified as having been complied with and the average time taken to remove a reactor after it has been identified.
It also sets out that the Department committed to making all compensation payments within three weeks after it received all necessary documents, but that in the first three months of this year, 15% of compensation landed after this target.
One in every 15 reactors – 2,773 cattle which tested positive for TB - were collected later than 30 days after testing, the report said.
The Department has agreed to set a target time for reactor removals at the beginning of 2026.
Non-complaint vets
There were 13 vets sanctioned for not adhering to correct TB testing procedures in 2024, which was just under one in every 10 vets inspected by the Department.
The sanctions levied against vets non-complaint ranged from re-testing and inspection, to a restriction on performing herd TB tests for up to 18 months, but even those banned from TB testing may carry out other work for the Department.
Some 151 vets were inspected last year but just 16 of these inspections were random, with the majority of vets having received prior notice an inspection was due to take place.
Read more
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Budgets too tight to raise farmer TB compensation – Minister
The Department of Agriculture has stated that it plans on ploughing ahead with tying TB compensation payments into farmers’ adherence with herd-specific risk mitigation plans less than one month after Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon ruled the idea out.
The plans cover farm biosecurity and cattle trading measures that may go beyond the standards set down in law, drawn up for herds with three or more reactors identified during a breakdown.
They are currently required under animal health regulations and are in place in paper format, but the Department not know how many of them are in existence and with no compliance checks carried out at present.
A proposal to link compensation with farmers’ decisions on risk had been outlined by the Department as an option for consideration in the lead up to the publication of revamped TB measures in September.
But on launching the updated strategy, Minister Heydon had told the Irish Farmers Journal that: “I took that away because I thought that that was something very difficult to have there in the mix.”
“Farmers don’t want to be in this position,” the minister commented, saying the preferred approach was “as far as possible, trying to incentivise farmers, making them aware, giving them their own information, making them aware of what risk looks like.”
However, in responding to a new report recommendation from the independent oversight body for the spending public funds, the Department has agreed to “align compliance with risk mitigation plans and compensation in the event of future breakdowns” from Q2 2026.
The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General report states that it was informed by the Department that “procedures regarding checks on compliance and consequences for non-compliance with risk mitigation plans are currently at an advanced stage of development”.
Further recommendations
The report has also advised the Department to come forward in early 2026 with a target date for bovine TB eradication that is “appropriate and realistic,” as well as short to medium-term intermediate targets.
The report stated that targets should be set for monitoring the eradication programme’s performance other than the number of TB tests carried out, as it is “not clear” the link this metric has with disease levels.
The Department must set more targets for the performance of the eradication programme, a new report has said. \ Donal O'Leary
It lists three targets which should be considered by the Department: the number of badger vaccinations, the number of risk mitigation plans verified as having been complied with and the average time taken to remove a reactor after it has been identified.
It also sets out that the Department committed to making all compensation payments within three weeks after it received all necessary documents, but that in the first three months of this year, 15% of compensation landed after this target.
One in every 15 reactors – 2,773 cattle which tested positive for TB - were collected later than 30 days after testing, the report said.
The Department has agreed to set a target time for reactor removals at the beginning of 2026.
Non-complaint vets
There were 13 vets sanctioned for not adhering to correct TB testing procedures in 2024, which was just under one in every 10 vets inspected by the Department.
The sanctions levied against vets non-complaint ranged from re-testing and inspection, to a restriction on performing herd TB tests for up to 18 months, but even those banned from TB testing may carry out other work for the Department.
Some 151 vets were inspected last year but just 16 of these inspections were random, with the majority of vets having received prior notice an inspection was due to take place.
Read more
Ireland not in a position to realistically talk of eradicating TB – Heydon
Heydon launches long-awaited TB action plan
Budgets too tight to raise farmer TB compensation – Minister
SHARING OPTIONS