There is to be an increase in the TB compensation payment rates paid to farmers.

An agreement was struck at a meeting of the Department of Agriculture’s TB Forum on Tuesday, which will see payment increases for income supplement, hardship and depopulation grants for farmers hit with TB.

The increased payments are to be backdated to 1 February for those restricted with TB in the last four weeks. It is understood the payments will be funded by a mix of State and EU funding.

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New payment rates

For the income supplement payment, monthly rates for farmers have gone from €55 for dairy cows to €100 for the first five months post-calving and €65 for months six to 10.

A farmer will receive no income supplement for a dairy cow during two months of a dry period.

For suckler cows, the current income supplement payment rate of €38.09 per cow will go to €52 for seven months post-calving and €40 for eight to 12 months.

Beef cattle or ‘other’ herds will receive an income supplement payment of €30/head, up from the current provision of €25.39.

Depopulation grants for dairy herds will go from €220/head to €280, from €152.36/head to €180 for suckler herds and from €76.16/head to €120 for other herds.

Farmers with a suckler herd will receive a hardship grant of €50/head, up from €38 currently, while dairy and other herds will see their hardship grant payments go from €25/head to €30.

Additional payment

To support farmers, as a transitional measure towards the implementation of animal health law requirements for 2023, the Department of Agriculture has also confirmed a once-off payment for farmers.

A once-off contribution of up to a maximum of €70 will be provided to breeding herds in 2023 that need to carry out required necessary additional testing on cows of any age or males over 36 months moved from one breeding herd to another breeding herd.

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said: "Some of the forum recommendations are already being implemented, such as the change in policy regarding inconclusive animals, additional support for wildlife control and badger vaccination.

"These are helping to reduce herd incidence levels. I would urge the forum to continue to increase its ambitions in the drive towards TB eradication in the coming years," he said.

The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) said the new TB payment package was “long awaited and overdue”.