Bovine TB is an ongoing challenge for Irish farmers. I am acutely aware of the emotional and financial impacts of bovine TB on farmers, their families and rural Ireland. In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in bovine TB levels nationally, with over 6,000 farm families affected by a bovine TB outbreak in 2024, and herd incidence at 6.04%. The primary driver of the cost of the bovine TB programme is disease levels. In 2024, the bovine TB programme cost €100m, which was an increase of 35% on 2023. For this year up to 30 September, just under €80 million has been spent on the TB programme. I secured an increased allocation of €85 million for bovine TB in budget 2026, providing a total budget of €157 million. This additional funding is vital in addressing the disease and I am confident that it will help to drive down bovine TB levels in the coming years. I published and got agreement on the bovine TB action plan, addressing bovine TB in Ireland, on 9 September. I do not believe I would have secured the extra €85 million for a business case that proposed business as usual. I had to take a new approach. This is the biggest step change in the history of the State in how we address bovine TB. The action plan follows extensive discussions with stakeholders in recent months. It is based on scientific research and veterinary expertise. My Department provides a range of financial supports that focus on compensating farmers for both direct and indirect losses incurred as a result of a bovine TB outbreak on the farm. The primary support scheme is the on-farm market valuation scheme, and this is augmented by the income supplement scheme, the depopulation grant scheme and the hardship grant scheme. The new plan looks to direct investment to the key drivers of the disease and to stop its spread. Compensation is absolutely critical so that farmers can continue with their livelihoods, but I must direct the new money to reducing or stamping out this disease. We will see a spike in the first two years and a downward trend thereafter. That will allow me to free up money in the budget for other areas.
Sentiment score: 0.20
As part of the work of the TB forum, which has done extensive work down the years, a dedicated financial working group was established to review the financial modelling of various elements of the bovine TB eradication programme. Agreement was reached within the group in the past two years and there were rate enhancements to the income supplements scheme, the hardship grant and the depopulation grant, as well as enhanced ceilings for selected animals being removed as part of the on-farm market valuation scheme. In addition, the financial working group also expanded the eligibility criteria under the income supplement and hardship grant schemes. The figures outlined by the Deputy are very stark, though. It is true that the new action plan will, if it is working, see an increase in the number of reactors next year, not necessarily the number of herds impacted. We have too many residual reactors going undetected and seeding the disease by being sold on to other farms. With increased gamma interferon testing - the blood testing - layered on in high-risk herds, we will identify more of those reactors earlier. The modelling predicts 62,000 reactors next year. That is why we need €157 million to address that. In two years' time, the reactor levels should plateau and we should see them coming down.
Sentiment score: 0.23
I am working with the Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, on farmer mental health and well-being. This really is a key stressor and when somebody can have a significant breakdown. We want to support farmers through that journey. As the senior Minister with responsibility for the approach to bovine TB, the best way I can do that is give light at the end of the tunnel to those farmers who are in that cycle of continuous reactors and follow-up tests to show them there is a clear pathway out of this; and for those 94% of herds not affected, to give them a reassurance they have a good chance of avoiding being affected in the future. That is why all of the additional resources I am getting have to be focused on stopping the spread of the disease, nipping it in the bud, addressing the key causes of the spread of this disease, supporting farmers with increased biosecurity measures, investing more heavily in the wildlife response - one of the five key pillars - and having blood testing layered on high-risk herds. All of the key measures layered on one another give us a great opportunity to, once and for all, get on top of this disease, which is a very dynamic one in how it is acting at present, and get it back to a point where it is under control and going in a downward trajectory.
Sentiment score: 0.45
I thank Deputy Burke for raising this point. I know it is a big issue in County Cork, as it is throughout the country. The income supplement scheme he referenced has been reviewed and there have been increases in thresholds across the hardship grant, depopulation grant and others. At the heart of all of these grants and supports is the fact that we have a disease that is wreaking havoc and causing great stress and strain to our farming families, and a huge financial strain to my budget. I could think of so many better ways of spending €157 million next year supporting our farmers across a whole host of areas than having that money drained. Deputy Cleere outlined that, in 2019, the total spend from my Department's budget on the eradication of bovine TB was just €37.5 million. Think about that. In six or seven years, the spend has gone from €37.5 million to €157 million. We have to crack this nut once and for all. I am determined to lay the foundation, during my time in this role, so that we get on top of this disease and get back to being able to talk about eradication in a clear way. We have been talking about generational renewal. One of the key things for generational renewal is being able to give certainty for the future. If we can get on top of bovine TB, I believe our action plan, properly funded and resourced now and with the buy-in of all sides, will deliver in the medium and long term.
Sentiment score: 0.22
I cannot stress any further that I am absolutely aware of the financial impact on farm families who have continuous reactors, whose herds are locked up and all of the strain that brings. That is why the additional money I get and the significant resources I now have must go into tackling the spread of the disease. It is pivotal. I do not want future generations of families to go through that same stress, financial turmoil and everything that goes with it. This action plan, which is now fully funded, is about addressing the key causes of the spread of that disease and targeting the money at spaces that will stop the spread of the disease, nip it in the bud and get the disease back under an element of control. To be successful, that plan means we need to find additional reactors next year and the year after, and that is what we will do. We will find them earlier. We will stop those reactors being undetected, going out and seeding the diseases out further. By doing that, fewer farmers will be impacted. I will keep a close eye on the compensation rates and where they are at-----
Sentiment score: -0.02
-----but I have to direct the financial resources I have to stopping the spread of the disease. That is my clear focus here.
Sentiment score: 0.11
Ongoing geopolitical tensions have meant that food security is increasingly at the forefront of the political agenda both at EU and global level. Ireland is among the most food secure countries in the world. As part of the EU Single Market and the Common Agricultural Policy, Ireland benefits from robust mechanisms that underpin food security across Europe. There is a series of instruments embedded in the EU policy framework to ensure food security. Safeguarding food security and reinforcing the resilience of food systems, and EU publication, sets out actions in the areas of security, stability and sustainability. The EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council of Ministers, of which I am a member, will continue to focus on these core areas. This includes supporting the work of the European food security crisis preparedness and response mechanism, EFSCM, which monitors and responds to threats to EU food security and supply. Ireland already has an integrated national framework for food systems sustainability. Food Vision 2030 was developed adopting a food systems approach with an ambition for Ireland to be a world leader in sustainable food systems and sets out four high-level interlinked missions for the sector to work towards. Each of these interlinked missions has ambitious goals rooted in a strongly practical approach to what needs to be achieved for future environmental, economic and social sustainability. To achieve these ambitions, we continue to support farmers through the €9.8 billion CAP strategic plan, which helps fund the transition to more sustainable practices while maintaining farm incomes. Environmental measures include the agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, increased funding for organic farming and the suckler carbon efficiency programme, SCEP, which is helping farmers to improve carbon efficiency in livestock production. My Department participated alongside other Departments in the food poverty working group and developed the 2024 action plan on food poverty, a cross-sectoral response to that issue. Ireland’s food security is underpinned by strong national and EU frameworks, continuous policy integration under Food Vision 2030 and targeted actions to strengthen local production, reduce food poverty and build a sustainable and resilient food system.
Sentiment score: 0.33
I meet individuals from Talamh Beo at different events. It has a role to play. We need to get a handle on why Ireland is one of the most food secure nations in the world according to key metrics. It is not because we produce every bit of food that is consumed on the island; it is because of the highly integrated nature of our food supply system around the world. It means from an environmental perspective, food should be produced where it can be produced most efficiently. If we look at our livestock system, we can see that our beef, sheep and dairy produce are part of a pasture-based system. It is a much better system for that produce to be raised with our livestock animals like cows and sheep out on grass for the vast majority of the year, looking at the sky, eating green grass and not in a shed or an intensive system. We produce it more efficiently here. We export 90% of the food and drink we produce. That is of a highly integrated nature. The high-protein, nutrient-dense rich food is of great value and feeds millions of our population.
Sentiment score: 0.29
I thank Deputy Burke for raising a critical issue for the future of our sector. The programme for Government prioritises "Supporting inter-generational farm succession". Food Vision 2030, our shared strategy for the agrifood sector, states generational renewal in farming is critically important to ensure the future viability and social sustainability of the Irish agrifood sector and of rural Ireland. There are a number of supports for generational renewal currently available to farmers under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027. These supports are complemented by a suite of strong national taxation measures and access to finance supports, as well as advisory and education and training supports. Farm succession is a complex issue and there are many factors that impact farmers’ decisions. The Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming was established to examine these issues. In the course of this work a public consultation was carried out. As part of this consultation, 31 written submissions were received and the commission subsequently met a number of stakeholders, including the main farming organisations. Further details of the consultation can be found in the published report, which runs to 180 pages. The commission has produced a thorough analysis and made 31 recommendations across a wide range of areas, including CAP supports, pensions, taxation, access to finance, access to land, collaborative arrangements, advisory services, education and training, gender balance and the overall attractiveness of the sector. An implementation group within my Department will carefully consider these recommendations. This group will continue this collaborative approach and will engage with agricultural stakeholders and the relevant public bodies. Attracting the next generation of farmers is critical to ensure the agrifood sector remains vibrant and sustainable into the future and the analysis provided by the Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming ensures we have a comprehensive, well-considered foundation for future policy on generational renewal. In my engagement with Commissioner Hansen of DG AGRI, he took a great interest in our report. He wanted to wait to publish his own policy until he saw our point of view and it is an area he has a huge passion for.
Sentiment score: 0.40
Yes, and that why we established the interdepartmental group within my Department on its implementation. The implementation piece of this report is so important because ultimately, it is about clear action. Some of these measures require the structure of the next CAP post 2027 to be able to implement. A national budget is not going to deliver the type of succession scheme that would previously always have been in the structure of a CAP. That is not to say there are not a lot of structural things that can be done now. As I said, the commission report recognises families still have these discussions. As for the impediments to generational renewal, there are challenges, in that our next generation is better educated than ever before and people have vastly more opportunities in a country with full employment to generate a good income from off-farm working that may involve fewer hours and less hard work, but there are an awful lot of farmers who want to farm in this area and we have to support them in that transition.
Sentiment score: 0.26
Very clearly there is not the bandwidth in a national budget to deliver very big succession schemes that would run to hundreds of millions of euro but the design of the next CAP is already under way, as is the fighting over the multi-annual financial framework or the overall budget for that area. I spoke earlier about how I funded a locally-led initiative in Mayo in my previous role as a Minister of State. The Béal Átha na Muice Project, which was based out of Swinford, identified farm families and 30 local families signed up to this scheme, 15 of which had no succession plan in place at all. In the review afterwards of how they were handheld and supported through that process of dealing with a solicitor, a tax adviser, a counsellor, consultants and everybody else, it emerged the fear they had beforehand was greatly lifted when they spoke to the tax adviser. They realised it would be terrible to have a crisis where somebody drops dead all of a sudden and there is no plan in place. Taxwise, it would possibly be much worse than if a set date had been picked to do the transfer when everybody is trained, we know what people's qualifications are and what their provision for the future is as well. It is about taking the fear out of this and looking at ways we can support that conversation to happen. I do not believe everybody is going to sit around for three years for the opportunity of one grant. This is a life-changing decision and we need to support all the family in that decision.
Sentiment score: -0.09
I thank the Deputy. Neglect of, or causing unnecessary suffering to, animals is not acceptable in our society in any circumstances. The programme for Government places a positive emphasis on animal welfare and specifically commits to the continued robust enforcement of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which provides a modern framework for regulating and applying standards in the area of animal health and welfare. In my first term as a TD between 2011 and 2016, I was a member of the agriculture committee. I remember the many weeks of work on that comprehensive legislation. It brought together so many historical items of legislation under one Act. My Department has lead responsibility within the Government for animal welfare and takes the matter of animal welfare most seriously. I am committed to the policy that animal welfare standards are vigorously applied in a fair and even-handed manner. All reports of alleged animal neglect or cruelty are investigated and appropriate action is taken. My Department, and authorised officers appointed under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, including, but not limited to, An Garda Síochána, customs agents and local authorities, undertake appropriate enforcement action, where breaches or shortcomings are identified. My Department keeps the Act under review in light of key developments in the area of animal welfare, the legislative environment more generally and having regard to the practical lessons learned from operating the Act. Policy and legislative responsibility for dog breeding establishments transferred to my Department on 1 August 2025. Local authorities retain responsibility for all operational implementation and enforcement matters. A high level stakeholder group was established last year to consider policy and legislative matters, specifically the Control of Dogs Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act. The stakeholder group's remit includes considering the need for legislative change. This requires in-depth analysis and consultation to ensure that amendments are not just robust, fit for purpose and implementable but also deliver the best outcome for communities.
Sentiment score: 0.07
My Department is committed to reviewing all legislation relating to dogs, and in this regard it will be guided by the recommendations of the dog control stakeholder group. I expect the group to revert to me with recommendations on the matter in due course. In the meantime, I am fully committed to progressing the work in this area. My Department is also aware of the campaign the Deputy references and will consider all views when reviewing legislation. It is very important that if members of the public are aware of any issues of suspected abuse or neglect, they contact my Department. We have a helpline phone number and a direct email address through which any fears people have are dealt with in a very confidential manner and are investigated and followed up. That is very important for people to know as well. Regulations for cats and dogs are being worked on at present on an EU-wide level. My Department is currently engaged in consultation with other member states on new proposals on European regulations on the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats. This includes provisions to ensure the breeding strategies do not include genotypes that have a detrimental effect on the health and welfare of dogs and cats. When that regulation is passed, it will be applicable to all member states, including Ireland.
Sentiment score: 0.07
We are reviewing the legislation. This is a responsibility that has come into my domain in recent months. As a Deputy who was part of the negotiating team for the programme for Government, and having been a Minister of State in the Department of agriculture, I was really keen for this to come under the remit of agriculture. I thought it was the right fit and that it is the right place for it to be. Mindful that I might be in this role, this is something I was very keen to see in the Department's remit. I am glad it is there and I want to work on it and progress it during my time as Minister. Deputy Lawlor referred to the sale of pets. My Department previously introduced a statutory instrument, the Animal Health and Welfare (Sale or Supply of Pet Animals) Regulations. The regulations put into law certain requirements for sellers and suppliers of pet animals, including the minimum age for the sale of certain mammals, record keeping, registration with my Department and the provision of specific information about pets in advertisements. Under these regulations, anyone who sells or supplies six or more pet animals in a year must register with my Department and must submit an inspection report signed by a private veterinary practitioner as part of the registration process. We will review every measure and make sure that, if it is not as robust as we would like, we will change it and make it more robust. I look forward to working with Deputy Lawlor on this.
Sentiment score: 0.22
Along with the Tánaiste, who has lead responsibility for trade policy, I have actively engaged with both the European Commission and other member states across the EU to voice Ireland's concerns on the EU-Mercosur agreement. Ireland has serious concerns on the preferential access being given to Mercosur if South American farmers are not subject to the same sustainable farming standards as our own farmers. We have repeatedly emphasised that beef in particular is a very sensitive sector which is vulnerable to negative impacts from the Mercosur agreement. During these engagements, the Tánaiste and I have also repeatedly emphasised Ireland's requirements for credible, legally binding commitments on matters relating to trade and sustainable development, including climate, biodiversity, and deforestation protections. Since my appointment as Minister earlier this year, I have raised these concerns at AGRIFISH Council meetings and with like-minded member states through bilateral meetings on the margins of Council meetings. In recent months, I have met with my French, Austrian and Latvian counterparts, in addition to Polish and other counterparts, to exchange views. The Commission recently announced its proposed approach to ratification and its proposal for a regulation implementing the bilateral safeguard clause within the agreement on agricultural products. Our officials are currently examining these proposals in detail to see if they provide any of the additional assurances required. Pending that examination, Ireland's position on the EU-Mercosur agreement remains as clearly outlined in the programme for Government: "[To] Work with like-minded EU countries to stand up for Irish farmers and defend our interests in opposing the current Mercosur trade deal." That is what we continue to do.
Sentiment score: 0.26
It is very clear, as I sit on the AGRIFISH Council, that some of my colleague Ministers for agriculture speak glowingly of the Mercosur agreement and what it would mean for their farmers and agricultural sectors. There are some countries that are very strongly of the view that this an agreement that should have been agreed ages ago. Not every country is opposed to it. We work with like-minded countries. I will be the chair of the AGRIFISH Council from 1 July next year when Ireland takes over the Presidency of the EU. I am meeting with many colleagues in bilateral meetings on what their priorities are for renegotiating the CAP and other issues. In all of those meetings I am highlighting my specific concerns around Mercosur. Because of the fact that we will be in the chair next year as a country, when they tell me what their priorities are, I will take the opportunity to highlight what our priorities are on the CAP, how we have to maintain the nitrates derogation and our serious concerns on the Mercosur deal. The fact is that a minimum of four countries is needed for a blocking minority for the Mercosur agreement, if and when it comes to a vote. There would not be a vote at the AGRIFISH Council. It would be either a vote of the trade or of the ambassadors. We we know what qualified majority voting means as well.
Sentiment score: 0.21
I will not waste lots of time talking about it. A number of EU countries, such as Spain and others, and their ministers for agriculture speak glowingly of Mercosur. That is a fact. Those meetings are public and open for people to see. I do not need list the countries in question. We are in the minority at that Council in terms of continually raising concerns around this space. However, we do it because of the sensitivity for our beef sector and others. Previously, others that were in that space with us were the French and Polish, while the Austrians and Italians also have concerns. It requires at least four member states working together as a bloc and that combined they would constitute at least 35% of the population of the EU. If that falls away, there is not that ability to block in that space. In relation to points made about standards, we should recognise there are two different types of standards here. The SPS standards are our food safety standards which are absolutely non-negotiable. We do not allow hormone-fed beef into Europe. It is the environmental standards that are going to be at odds, and that is what we raised the issues about.
Sentiment score: 0.00