Heydon’s TB action plan finally announced
Pictured are Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, TD and Chief Vetinerary Officer June Fanning at the launch of "Bovine TB Action Plan Addressing Bovine TB in Ireland". Pic: MAXWELLS
This week, Minister Heydon announced his department’s new action plan to begin to reverse the effects of bovine TB (TB) in Ireland.
As of June 30, 6,449 herds are restricted due to TB, with 43,290 reactors identified. Herd incidence in the country has also risen to 6.40% as of June 29 of this year, a significant increase from the 6.04% herd incidence reported by the department at the end of 2024.
Described by Minister Heydon as “the single largest reset in the TB program since its inception,” the 30 actions fall under five high-level measures.
Measure one aims to support TB-free herds to help them remain free, measure two focuses on the impact of wildlife, measure three surrounds early detection and elimination of the disease within herds, measure four concerns improving farm biosecurity and measure five aims to reduce the impact of known high-risk animals in spreading TB.
Key actions being implemented include: informed cattle purchases, mandatory gamma interferon (GIF) or blood testing on larger herds and cull cow sales for restricted herds.
It is important to note that at the time of the action plan announcement, funds have not been ringfenced or allocated for the TB eradication programme, with a budget not yet finalised until October 7, Budget Day.
Commenting on future budget allocations for the action plan, Minister Heydon said: “TB is a key priority going into next year and those [budget] negotiations.”
Measure one contains the most actions, with nine in total, with all actions aiming to support herds free of TB to remain free.
Actions include communicating effectively biosecurity measures to farmers to safeguard herds, developing a national breeding strategy to increase TB resistance, facilitating earlier detection with pre-movement testing, informed purchasing, continued and close collaboration with Northern Ireland and DAERA, continued support in research and ensuring a consistent approach is taken to the management of TB.
A 30-day test will be required for dairy cows before moving to a new herd, and contract-reared heifers before they relocate. Suckler cows and males over 36 months can continue to be sold and moved within the 6months following a clear test. Post-movement testing will no longer be available.
Informed purchasing of cattle is a tumultuous subject since its proposal earlier this year. Now going forward with the action implemented, farmers can expect female breeding cattle 18 months and over that have been present in high-risk breakdowns – a breakdown where three or more animals have tested positive for the disease – will be identified at sale, allowing buyers to make informed choices.
In the publication of the action plan, the Department have reaffirmed that a telephone helpline for farmers who enter a TB breakdown will be made available to help inform and advise farmers. Day-to-day management of the breakdown will still be the responsibility of the local RVO.
Measure two revolving around wildlife contains eight actions.
The department plans to now solely employ a test, vaccinate or remove (TVR) approach to the badger population, increase wildlife operatives by 30%, a minimum of two sweeps per year of cull and vaccination areas, additional surveying and captures within 1km and 2km of a breakdown, an implementation of a wildlife response model for areas of high incidence of TB, supports in the improvement in on-farm badger security, continued support of the deer management programme, and proactively target wildlife measures in advance of significant infrastructure work and forestry clear felling.
Measure three consists of four actions: GIF or blood testing becoming mandatory for herds 80 cows or more where a minimum of 5% test positive of the exposed cohort in large breakdowns, advise herd owners of individual test readings of exposed cohort, assist farmers with relapse herds to identify residual infections by conducting TB test every six months for a period of three years, and maximising quality of private veterinary practitioner testing.
The mandatory GIF testing will be carried out only on the exposed cohort where reactors were sourced from, and will be carried out within 14 working days of the skin test. GIF testing can be done in agreement with the herdowner; in herds with fewer than 80 cows were a minimum of 3 skin reactors were identified.
Measure four surrounding biosecurity consists of five actions. Providing free veterinary advice through Targeted Advisory Service on Animal Health (TASAH), providing risk management plans, making greater use of Teagasc discussion group knowledge transfers, full enforcement of biosecurity and testing requirements for Controlled Finishing Units (CFUs) and where a dealer or associated herd number enter into a breakdown, both herds will become restricted and must complete two clear skin tests.
Measure five, consisting of four actions, aims to reduce the impact of positive herds and high-risk animals spreading TB.
A restriction on the sale of cows within an exposed cohort for two years after the removal of reactors, unless to CFUs or direct to slaughter, will be imposed on herds with 80 or more cows that have 5% or the equivalent of 10 reactors as a result of a test.
The actions will also encourage farmers to purchase cattle of an equivalent or superior herd risk category, which is left to the seller to disclose to a buyer.
There will also be the facilitated movement of unweaned dairy calves from TB-restricted holdings to alleviate additional stress and workload. A purchasing herd will be restricted until two clear skin tests at least 60 days apart, and calves may be freely traded after the fact.
Finally, the facilitation of special cull cow sales will be implemented. This means negatively tested animals from a restricted herd will be allowed to enter special cull cow sales in marts to CFUs. These animals will not require a specific pre-movement test once they are negative at the breakdown test.
With results not expected for at least a year following the enforcement of the new action plan, and no “Plan B” expressed by the minister, only time will tell whether these actions are deemed a success or failure.
- If you have been affected by the recent increase in bovine TB rates in Ireland and would like to speak with a journalist, please contact our Farming reporter Zoe Geary at zoe.geary@examiner.ie
