A 'lean review' of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's bovine tuberculosis (TB) programme is set to continue next year.

As part of Budget 2027, government departments have been asked to deliver efficiencies and reforms.

Among the measures highlighted by DAFM was the continuation of its lean review of the bovine TB programme across all Regional Veterinary Offices (RVO).

DAFM said this will help to identify "increased efficiencies in the operation of the programme".

"This will continue across all areas of the programme throughout 2027 to enforce the building of a Lean culture across the BTB programme," the department added.

Bovine TB

Under Budget 2027, DAFM has been allocated €142.4 million for the TB programme for next year.

This is around €15 million less than the allocation for the programme for this year (2026), which was €157 million.

The department is expecting to carry out some 10.7 million bovine TB tests on cattle next year.

It has also been confirmed that the existing valuation ceilings will increase by €500 for all reactor animals valued in 2026.

AI

Among the other efficiencies highlighted by DAFM was the strategic deployment of artifical intelligence (AI) "to drive business value and innovation".

The department plans to continue developing AI pathfinder projects which could "deliver administration efficiencies to our staff and better serve our customers".

This may include reducing the time to write documents and process applications.

The department said it will ensure staff have "appropriate training and skills to use AI responsibly and effectively".

DAFM also said it reuses and extends existing technology wherever possible to "maximise value, accelerate delivery, and achieve both time and cost efficiencies".

It said that spatial analysis capabilities originally developed for forestry schemes have been repurposed to support work on appropriate assessments under the nitrates derogation.

Food controls

In July 2024, the government announced the phased transfer of the official food controls undertaken by local authority veterinary services from the Department of Health (DoH) to DAFM.

This includes the permanent transfer of funding and the transfer of relevant staff from local authorities to DAFM effective from January 1, 2027.

The department said that it will be more efficient both from an operational and financial perspective to absorb the functions into DAFM’s laboratory complex in Co Kildare.

The department also confirmed that it will carry out a "critical review" of the EU School Fruit and Vegetables and School MilkSchemes ahead of changes to the relevant EU regulations in 2028.

These schemes are currently cofinanced by EU and national exchequer funding.

The objective of the review will be to simplify and better align these schemes with the Hot School Meals Scheme.