A further relaxation of cattle brucellosis testing arrangements will come into place next year.
The scaling down follows a substantial reduction in the incidence of the disease in recent years, leading to a decision by the European Union last year to grant Ireland an officially 'brucellosis-free' status.
Under the new arrangements, 50% of suckler and dry stock herds will be exempted from brucellosis testing at their annual herd surveillance test for 2011.
Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith said the change would remove 800,000 animals from the testing regime in 2011 and should result in savings of an estimated €2.5m to farmers in 2011.
Mr Smith said this move, together with the substantial changes announced in September 2009, would exempt over 2.1m animals from the brucellosis testing programme in 2011, with estimated savings of €7.5m to Irish farmers in terms of reduced testing costs.
