The number of cattle that went down with TB during herd tests in the 12 months up to the end of September 2025 came to 40,192, a 6% increase on the equivalent figure a year before.

Over 41,600 reactors were removed from herds nationwide in Ireland last year and the latest TB trend modelling carried out by the Department of Agriculture expects that a ratcheting up of blood testing as part of the TB programme’s reset could drive the figure above 60,000 in 2026.

The 12-month herd incidence rate at the end of September stood at 6.08% compared to 5.62% at the same stage of 2025.

This means that around one in 16 herds that had previously tested clear of TB went down over the past 12 months.

There were 6,084 herds operating with restrictions in the year leading up to the end of September 2025, up from 5,712 for the equivalent comparison a year previous.

Areas experiencing high numbers of herd restrictions over the past 12 months include Co Monaghan, west Co Meath, east Co Westmeath, south Co Longford and north Co Kilkenny.

The direct costs to the Department of administering the programme came to just under €80m for the year up to the end of September.

Marginally

At €40m, the On-Farm Market Valuation Scheme’s costs represented marginally over half of the overall spend as the reactor valuation bill was up by 21% year-on-year.

Other farmer TB compensation schemes accounted for another €10.5m in spending, an increase on three-fifths on the equivalent for last year, while vet fees jumped 22% to total €10.7m.

The increasing spend on TB control dominated Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon’s Budget 2026 announcements by hoovering up half of the Department’s €170m funding rise on this year.

The funding used by wildlife control and research were the only two spending headings down significantly year-on-year in the latest Department release of TB statistics, with both falling by 18%.