Minister Must Honour Commitment to Remove Unfair Compensation Ceilings TB Programme – IFA
IFA Animal Health Chair David Hall has called on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon to honour his commitment to farmers to address the arbitrary and unfair ceilings of €3,000 and €5,000 in the On Farm Market Valuation Scheme.
David Hall said the Minister kicked for touch on this issue when IFA raised it with him for the first time early last year, claiming the need to secure additional funding for the TB Programme and to have a TB Action Plan agreed.
“Both of these issues were delivered on by October last year with the support of farmers, yet the Minister has still not honoured his commitment to address the outdated and unfair ceilings in the live valuation scheme since,” he said.
The TB eradication budget for 2026 was increased to €157m, providing €25m additional funding over and above the cost of the programme in 2025.
“For the first quarter this year, the spend in the TB programme is actually 2% below last year’s level with TB reactor numbers down almost 5,000 on the same period in 2025. This surplus funding, exceeding €25m, now provides Minister Heydon with the immediate opportunity to address the long-standing issue with the ceilings in the live valuation scheme,” David Hall highlighted.
“These arbitrary callings are completely at odds with the DAFM’s own Farmer Information Booklet, and agreement between the Government and farm organisations in early 2000.”
That agreement clearly states that market value is – “the equivalent price which might reasonably have been obtained for the animal at the time of determination of compensation from a purchaser in the open market if the animal was not affected by TB or Brucellosis or was not being removed as part of a depopulation under the disease eradication programme.”
The IFA Animal Health Chair added that all farmers want is fairness in how we are treated in the TB programme from Minister Heydon and his officials, by respecting the fact farmers contribute €150m to the programme each year and ensuring the compensation schemes fulfil their function.
“The Live Valuation Scheme must reflect the open market value of an animal as agreed in early 2000 between government and farm organisations, not a figure determined by arbitrary ceilings.” David Hall said
David Hall also highlighted that while the current system effects all farmers, it is also disproportionately penalising suckler farmers.
“Suckler farming is already under significant pressure, with declining cow numbers and serious challenges around generational renewal, and the continued use of these outdated ceilings further undermines confidence in the sector and imposes additional unnecessary burdens from TB outbreaks on these vulnerable, small scale family farms,” he said.
David Hall said removing the unfair ceilings is a critical first step in generating farmers’ support and goodwill in implementing some very difficult measures for individual farmers in the TB Action Plan.
“Minister Heydon has no hiding place on this issue, the money is available within the current budget based on savings to-date this year, and with TB reactor numbers thankfully falling, what is needed now is the political will to resolve the issue.”
“Farmers have played their part, it is up now to the Minister Heydon and his officials to play theirs,” David Hall concluded.
