Minister Heydon announces opening of €6 million scheme for on-farm badger biosecurity as part of bTB Action Plan
- Published on: 13 May 2026
- Last updated on: 13 May 2026
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, today announced the opening of the On-Farm Badger Biosecurity Scheme for farmer applications. This delivers another key part of the Bovine TB Action Plan which Minister Heydon launched in September 2025, helping to protect farmers and their herds from bovine TB (bTB).
Minister Heydon said:
“This scheme, which I committed to introducing as part of the Bovine TB Action Plan published last year, will allow farmers to reduce the risk posed by badgers in the spread of bTB by assisting in the cost of improving on-farm badger biosecurity measures. This is a key action under Measure 2: Reduce the impact of wildlife on the spread of bTB.”
The Minister added:
“The bTB action plan sets out how we will tackle the three main ways in which bTB spreads: by movement of infected cattle, by the reoccurrence of residual infection in herds which had outbreaks in the past, and by infected badgers. I have taken steps to address each of these, as I am determined to reduce the levels of this disease and the numbers of farm families having to deal with the stress and worry of an outbreak.”
The scheme will be open for receipt of applications until 31 May 2026. Farmers may purchase fencing materials for fencing off badger setts to exclude cattle from the area around the opening of setts as well as purchasing eligible water troughs and feed troughs which impede badger access from eligible participating co-operatives and agri-retail merchants.
Farmers will be issued an approval letter from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine following an examination of their eligibility and can purchase materials from a participating co-op/agri-merchant upon presentation of their approval letter from 1 July to 31 August 2026. The scheme provides a grant aid of 40% for purchases of eligible materials up to a maximum of €2,000 expenditure as outlined in the scheme’s terms and conditions.
Minister Heydon advised farmers to scan the QR code on the leaflet they received in the post or visit www.bovinetb.ie for the Terms and Conditions and applications for the On-Farm Badger Biosecurity Scheme.
Notes
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, published the Bovine TB Action Plan Addressing Bovine TB in Ireland in September 2025. This plan includes five measures and 30 actions to address and over time reduce the current high disease levels as follows:
- Support herds free of bTB to remain free
- Reduce the impact of wildlife on the spread of bTB
- Detect and eliminate bTB infection as early as possible in herds with a bTB breakdown and avoid a future breakdown
- Help farmers improve all areas of on-farm biosecurity
- Reduce the impact of known high-risk animals in spreading bTB
These measures are targeting both transmission between wildlife and cattle and transmission between cattle where the disease risk is highest in order to meaningfully reduce disease levels.
Action 2.6 of the Plan – Support the improvement in on-farm badger biosecurity includes the introduction of a support package to support farmers to take a proactive farm-based response towards the risk posed by badgers to the spread of bTB.
To be eligible to participate in the On-Farm Badger Biosecurity Scheme, the applicant must have submitted a Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application in 2025 and have bovine livestock on their holding in 2026 at the time of application.
A financial contribution will be made by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to farmers through approved co-operatives and agri-retail merchants for the purchase of: Suitable water and feeding troughs, and fencing materials for best practice badger biosecurity.
Grant aid shall be at a maximum rate of 40% of expenditure on eligible materials to a maximum of €2,000 excluding VAT i.e. maximum grant payable under this scheme is €800 excluding VAT.
The minimum amount of investment eligible for approval under this scheme is €500 excluding VAT per herdowner.
The maximum number of participants is limited to 7,500 where all eligibility requirements are met.
Applications will only be accepted by email to RAHBio@agriculture.gov.ie.
Current list of participating Co-operatives and Agri-Retail Merchants can be found on the Department’s website, with more Co-operatives and Agri-Retail Merchants expected to join this week.