The Minister for Agriculture says he is committed to eradicating Bovine TB form the island of Ireland.
A major new cross border pilot project to tackle the disease has been launched in Newtowncunningham today.
Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon, and his Northern counterpart Andrew Muir were both in attendance.
Minister Heydon says he knows first hand the devastation TB can bring to a family farm.
He says experience in Europe and New Zealand shows that regional approaches work……………
Speaking at the launch, Minister Andrew Muir says he and Minister Heydon have a close working relationship……………..
Dr June Fanning, Republic of Ireland Chief Veterinary Officer, Minister Martin Heydon, TD, Minister Andrew Muir, Dr. Brian Dooher Northern Ireland Chief Veterinary Officer. Photo credit: Philip Mulligan.
Release in full –
Minister Heydon and Minister Muir launch new Bovine Tuberculosis Cooperation Project as part of the Shared Island Initiative
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, and Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, Andrew Muir MLA, have today launched a pilot cooperation project to tackle bovine TB on a regional basis, as part of the Shared Island Initiative.
This project will see both Departments collaborate in a pilot area in the north-east of Donegal and the north-west of Northern Ireland on measures that seek to provide a proof of concept of a regional approach to TB eradication, which aims to ultimately lead to a reduction in disease levels, reactor numbers and exchequer spending on TB over time in both jurisdictions.
Welcoming the announcement, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “I am delighted to see this cross-border cooperation programme on tackling bovine TB, as part of the Shared Island Initiative, get underway. Across the island, the challenges and opportunities we face in many sectors are both comparable and inter-connected, including in agriculture. I look forward to seeing what positive impacts this project will have in supporting farmers across the selected region to prevent and eradicate this disease.”
Speaking at today’s launch, Minister Heydon said: “I am delighted to be able to formally launch this project along with Minister Muir and progress the work from both our departments in tackling Bovine TB. As a single epidemiological area, it makes sense for us to tackle disease control and eradication together and, with the support provided through the Shared Island Fund, I look forward to seeing positive outcomes from this pilot project.”
Also speaking at today’s launch, Minister Muir added: “Today marks a significant milestone in our collaborative efforts to combat Bovine TB across this island. The launch of this research proof-of-concept project epitomises our commitment to finding innovative solutions and advancing TB control and eradication. Farmers are at the heart of this initiative, and their insights and experiences are invaluable in shaping future policies and strategies. We look forward to the positive impact this project will bring to our agricultural community and beyond.”
The project also aligns with both Departments’ strategies on the eradication of bovine TB and the objectives of the Shared Island Initiative of working together on an all-island basis to address common strategic challenges. Through the Shared Island Fund, the Government of Ireland will contribute €6.5 million towards the total projected costs (€11.7 million) over the five-year period of the pilot project, with the remaining costs being funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, as applicable.
Following public engagement with stakeholders in late 2025, the project will continue its scoping exercise for research strands over the coming months. The holistic package of measures, which seeks to address sources of disease transmission and persistence, will be rolled out over a five-year period in order to maximise its impact on disease eradication.
While there is a strong history of cooperation between the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, this is the first time the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs have taken a collaborative approach to bovine TB management in areas crossing the border.
The project involves the application of a series of enhanced TB controls by both the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The additional controls on the Donegal side will be aligned with the recently published TB action plan, addressing additional testing regimes, providing intensive biosecurity training to farmers, and wildlife controls.
On the Northern Ireland side, the project will involve additional cattle testing regimes, research on the development of an appropriate wildlife controls, and intensive biosecurity training to famers. There is no pre-existing wildlife programme in Northern Ireland and substantial resources will be deployed establishing the wildlife element in Northern Ireland.
There is a net movement of cattle out of both regions which reduces the risk of inward disease introductions.
There is a substantial research element to the project, where the learnings from the project will be applied more widely in both jurisdictions.
A key objective of the programme on both sides is to empower farmers on how they can protect their herds through knowledge transfer in the biosecurity programmes which will be delivered by the farmers’ private veterinary practitioners.
In April, the TB Partnership Group’s Bovine TB in Northern Ireland: Blueprint for Eradication noted an action to develop and pilot a regionalised approach for the implementation of novel measures, including new partnership working, using the results as a ‘proof of concept’ for deploying any such measures. Rolling out measures on a regional basis will enable to utilise resources more efficiently to assess the impact of the interventions on subpopulations within that region.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine TB Action Plan included an action to continue to collaborate with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs on the bovine tuberculosis programme in both jurisdictions.
