Minister Heydon has insisted that any additional funding spent on TB control must be spend on reducing disease levels. \ Philip Doyle
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Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has stuck to his guns on refusing to lift TB reactor compensation ceilings in line with cattle prices as farmers prepare for the onset of new testing and movement requirements kicking in on 13 April.
Budget 2026 saw an €85m increase in the funding allocated to the TB programme as the disease sucked in half of the overall extra funding allocated for Department of Agriculture spending.
However, Minister Heydon has insisted that any additional funding spent on TB control must be spent on reducing disease levels, rather than on increasing farmer compensation as the Department costs associated with herd tests and reactor removals are set to rise with the ramped-up requirements take effect later this month.
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The current ceiling for pedigree cattle is set at €5,000 per head, while commercial cattle ceilings are a lower €3,000/head.
Farmers lost out on compensation for almost one in every 10 reactors removed on foot of 2025’s herd tests, which meant that farmers struggling with the impact of breakdowns were under-compensated for around 3,500 cattle in total.
Impacted farmers had to fund the replacement cost of their cattle from their own pockets if looking to replace the reactor with an animal of equivalent market value.
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Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has stuck to his guns on refusing to lift TB reactor compensation ceilings in line with cattle prices as farmers prepare for the onset of new testing and movement requirements kicking in on 13 April.
Budget 2026 saw an €85m increase in the funding allocated to the TB programme as the disease sucked in half of the overall extra funding allocated for Department of Agriculture spending.
However, Minister Heydon has insisted that any additional funding spent on TB control must be spent on reducing disease levels, rather than on increasing farmer compensation as the Department costs associated with herd tests and reactor removals are set to rise with the ramped-up requirements take effect later this month.
The current ceiling for pedigree cattle is set at €5,000 per head, while commercial cattle ceilings are a lower €3,000/head.
Farmers lost out on compensation for almost one in every 10 reactors removed on foot of 2025’s herd tests, which meant that farmers struggling with the impact of breakdowns were under-compensated for around 3,500 cattle in total.
Impacted farmers had to fund the replacement cost of their cattle from their own pockets if looking to replace the reactor with an animal of equivalent market value.
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