ICMSA critical of lop-sided TB Action Plan – “Very firm on farmers, very flimsy on everyone else!”

Commenting on the Bovine TB Action Plan published today by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine, the President of ICMSA, Denis Drennan, said that the very first thing that will ‘jump out’ is the lop-sided nature of the actions and requirements that the Plan proposes: “As ICMSA repeatedly warned against, the actions and requirements are very firm on farmers, and very flimsy on everyone else!”

Mr. Drennan focussed especially on what he said were the “vague commitments” required of other actors and he said that those would need to move past this aspirational ‘fuzz’ and become firm and clear targets with timelines and markers that had to be reached with specified timeframes. Mr. Drennan said that the success or failure of the plan would depend on time lined accountability.

As an example, Mr. Drennan noted that while the proposals on wildlife are welcome there are no specific targets or timeframes to deal with farmer concerns in relation to deer and badgers.  “What are the tragets and over what

timeframe?” asked Mr. Drennan, who went on to say that if the Minister wants farmer ‘buy-in’ on his proposals, he will very quickly have to show that these commitments will be transformed to actions ‘on the ground’.  

“TB levels have escalated over the last number of years to very concerning levels and farmers have been calling for real actions to address TB levels that also ensure that affected farmers are treated with fairness and respect.   ICMSA engaged with the Minister on a number of occasions and – while we welcome some of the measures being introduced – we are frankly disappointed that the Minister did not take on board our proposal for a maximum of two movements per TB test; that the rules that apply to farmers should also apply to other actors in the industry; that a dedicated person would deal with individual farmer queries and that the compensation ceilings should be raised to take account of the increased value of livestock, to highlight just four issues”, said Mr. Drennan.

Noting that this was the latest in a seemingly endless procession of ‘plans for bovine TB’ over the past 75 years, Mr. Drennan said that the Minister’s proposals do not go far enough in some key areas and what definite actions were being proposed were confined to farmers with disappointingly vague commitments for others. 

“It’s entirely up to the Minister at this stage; if he wants farmers support then he has to show that he’s in earnest about getting the other actors to really commit – and we include his own Department in this – and only in that way will he signal that he’s genuinely serious about carrying through the measures that everyone knows are required. This is the chance to show that the Department is absolutely serious about reversing the worrying trend in bTB and it gives us no pleasure to say that the Plan launched today is just not as convincing as it needed to be – and could have been”, concluded the ICMSA President.

Ends    9 September 2025

Denis Drennan, 086-8389401

President, ICMSA

Or

Cathal MacCarthy, 087-6168758

ICMSA Press Office