Latest figures published by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) show that total exchequer spending on bovine tuberculosis (TB) soared to €100.616 million in 2024.

This represents a 35% jump in the corresponding figures to the end of Q4 2023, when total expenditure on TB reached €74.2 million.

Data shows that the level of TB has been rising since 2017 and that last year there was a continued increase in both the number of TB reactors and the number of herds restricted.

Provision figures indicate that by December 29, last year 6,142 herds were restricted on a 12-month rolling basis.

According to the latest quarterly report from DAFM on ‘National Bovine Tuberculosis Statistics' one of the key factors for the increased spend on TB is a year on year increase in relation to the On-Farm Market Valuation Scheme (OFMV).

Over the 12 months to December 2024 OFMV - which is the main compensation measure available to herdowners whose herds comes down with TB - increased by 56% to €54.3 million - up from €34.7 million a year earlier.

According to DAFM the continued increase year on year in OFMV is "due to strong market values and the rise in the number reactors".

"OFMV is the main contributor to the increase in TB programme expenditure over the last three years," DAFM stated.

The latest figures from DAFM also highlight that TB compensation levels up to December 31, 2024 increased to €9.6 million while vet fees also jumped to €14.6 million by the close of quarter four last year.

According to the department provisional figures suggest that 41,630  reactors were removed in the period from December 31, 2023 to December 29, 2024.

This compared to 28,868 reactors removed in the period from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023.

The latest data indicates that the herd incidence rate was 6% by December 29, 2024 - up from 4.89% by December 31, 2023.