Budget 2026 delivers a significant uplift in funding for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, with a total allocation of €2.3 billion for the year ahead. A major focus of the Budget is the escalating challenge of bovine TB, which has prompted the Government to double the resources available for eradication efforts.
The allocation includes an additional €85 million for the TB eradication programme in 2026. The scheme has exceeded its budget repeatedly in recent years, most notably with a 76% overspend in 2024. The new funding will support the rollout of the Bovine TB Action Plan announced earlier this autumn, as the number of cases continues to rise. More than 40,000 infections were recorded in the twelve months to early September, representing a substantial increase on the previous year and a 44% rise since 2023.
Other major agricultural programmes will also receive enhanced funding next year. The ACRES environmental scheme, which supports more than 53,000 farmers in improving biodiversity on their land, will see its budget rise by €20 million to €280 million. The National Sheep Welfare Scheme will continue with an allocation of €20 million, supporting over 17,000 farmers.
The Budget also includes €35 million for Ireland’s contribution to the World Food Programme and an additional €7.4 million for Bord Iascaigh Mhara to strengthen the sustainability of the seafood sector.
Farm Succession and Tax Measures
A series of tax reliefs aimed at supporting farm succession and restructuring will remain in place until the end of 2029. The extensions apply to Farm Consolidation Stamp Duty Relief, Farm Restructuring CGT Relief and the Young Trained Farmer Stamp Duty Relief. The scope of Farm Restructuring Relief will be broadened to include woodlands and forestry.
To support emissions reduction on farms, the Accelerated Capital Allowance scheme for slurry storage facilities will continue for a further four years. The Minister for Finance noted that these measures fall under EU State Aid rules and must operate within those constraints.
Concerns Over Lack of New Supports for Young Farmers
Macra, the national organisation representing young farmers, expressed strong disappointment with the Budget, arguing that it fails to provide new incentives to encourage generational renewal. The group said that despite the scale of the agricultural budget, no fresh measures have been introduced to support young people entering the sector or to reduce structural barriers that limit succession planning.
While Macra welcomed the extension of existing reliefs and the increased funding for TB eradication, it stressed that more ambitious approaches are needed to ensure the sustainability of family farms and attract new entrants.
Mixed Reaction from Dairy Farmers
The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) described the agriculture measures in Budget 2026 as underwhelming. The organisation said that while the continuation of key reliefs on slurry storage, stamp duty and capital gains tax is positive, farmers had expected new initiatives to help manage income volatility and support long term succession strategies. ICMSA highlighted the absence of Government action on its long standing proposal for an income-smoothing mechanism to help farmers manage fluctuating earnings across good and bad years.
