Minister Heydon announces enhanced poultry biosecurity regulations to protect poultry and captive birds from Avian Influenza
- Foilsithe: 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 24 Deireadh Fómhair 2025
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, has announced the introduction of biosecurity regulations which will require all flock keepers to apply specific biosecurity measures for poultry and other captive birds. These measures will come into effect on Saturday, 01 November 2025, and are designed to prevent outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in poultry and captive birds.
The decision follows the increasing risk to poultry and captive birds during the higher-risk period for avian influenza, due to increased inward migration of wild waterfowl who are the natural reservoirs of avian influenza viruses. 41 wild birds have tested positive to HPAI in the first nine months of 2025, and outbreaks of HPAI have been reported this month in a large poultry flock in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and in a captive bird flock in Co. Cork.
Minister Heydon said:
“These events highlight that there is a significant risk to Irish poultry and captive bird flocks, which is increasing substantially as winter approaches due to the seasonal migration of wild birds to Ireland. In addition, as temperatures decrease, the virus can survive for longer periods at lower temperatures.
Strict and consistent biosecurity is the most effective mechanism to reduce the risk of transmission and protect against avian influenza. It is extremely important at this time that every precaution must be taken to prevent virus particles from wild birds which may be present in the environment from coming into contact with poultry or captive birds.”
Under the new regulations announced today, all keepers of poultry and other captive birds, including backyard flocks, are required to implement these measures to protect their flocks, livelihoods, and the wider Irish poultry sector. For larger flocks (350 birds or more), flock owners will be required to apply additional enhanced biosecurity measures, appropriate to their scale of operation.
The Department is urging all flock owners, regardless of flock size, to remain vigilant for signs of disease, implement and maintain strict biosecurity measures, and report any suspicion of disease to their local Department Regional Veterinary Office or if outside business hours, to contact the National Disease Emergency Hotline on 01 492 8026.
Members of the public are reminded not to handle sick or dead wild birds. Any dead wild birds should be reported to the department using the Avian Influenza Wild Bird reporting App (AvianCheck).
The Department continues to closely monitor and assess the evolving disease situation and remains in regular contact with industry stakeholders.
Notes to Editor
A guidance document describing what the biosecurity regulations require and how this can be implemented in practice is online here.
The most recent Avian Influenza Update has been published online and is available here.
The Statutory Instruments are entitled Avian Influenza (Biosecurity measures) Regulations 2025.
Further information on avian influenza can be found here: gov.ie - Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) (www.gov.ie).
Clinical signs that poultry keepers should look for in their birds include a swollen head, discolouration of neck and throat, loss of appetite, respiratory distress, diarrhoea and fewer eggs laid – although these vary between species of bird.
If you suspect disease in your flock, notify the local Regional Veterinary Office or if outside business hours contact the National Disease Emergency Hotline on 01 492 8026
If you find dead wild birds such as wild ducks, wild geese, swans, gulls or birds of prey, do not handle the birds. Report the findings to the department using the Avian Influenza Wild Bird reporting App (AvianCheck).
Where the department has sufficient epidemiological surveillance information in particular geographical areas, it will not necessarily collect dead birds for testing.
A list of Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine offices and their contact details.