DAFM confirms all backlogged TB payments to be issued 'this week'
The Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine has confirmed to Agriland that the backlog of bovine tuberculosis (TB) compensation payments has been cleared, and all outstanding payments are being issued to herdowners "this week".
A spokesperson for the department said: "The continued increase in TB disease levels in recent years has resulted in significant additional work in the administration of the TB programme for the department.
"There has recently been an increase in the volume of TB compensation payments that resulted in a temporary backlog in payments."
This delay in payments has been an ongoing issue for farmers across Ireland, with some being owed thousands of euros.
In a parliamentary question earlier this month, Sinn Féin TD for Cavan-Monaghan, Cathy Bennett questioned the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon on the number of farmers who applied for TB compensation from 2023 to date in 2025.
According to DAFM, the number of TB compensation payments applied for to date in 2025 in Ireland was 25,008, accounting for 5,576 herds.
TB compensation payments
The Cavan-Monaghan Sinn Féin TD also requested that figures be released from the department on the number of payments that were made within three weeks of all required documents being submitted.
To date in 2025, a total of 14,758 TB compensation payments were issued within three weeks of all the required documents being submitted.
This figure is just over 59% of the total number of TB compensation payments applied for to date in 2025.
The county that received the lowest amount of payments compared to the number of payments applied for was Cork, with 2,048 TB compensation payments applied for and 1,041 payments issued within three weeks of all required documentation being submitted.
Speaking on the matter, Minister Heydon said: "The On Farm Market Valuation (OFMV) Scheme is the principal compensation measure available to herdowners whose herds are affected by a bovine TB breakdown in their herd.
"The scheme aims to compensate farmers up to the open market value of an animal as if they were not affected by disease, subject to ceilings."
The minister also explained that all OFMV payments are based on reactors disclosed, and it is not a case of eligibility, meaning there is no set application.
"If a herdowner has reactors, they are paid for those reactors.
"For Income Supplement and Hardship payments there is also no application required; regional offices assess eligibility for all herds in breakdown and herds that meet the conditions of the scheme are paid automatically," he added.
