Government must respond to dramatically higher rate of TB among migrant populations

Independent TD for Offaly Carol Nolan has said there are questions to be asked regarding the effectiveness of Ireland’s National TB Strategy and about how well the country is equipped to handle an increase in the Tuberculosis (TB) rate among the Irish-born and migrant populations here.

Deputy Nolan was speaking after the Director of the National Health Protection Office in the HSE confirmed to her, on foot of a parliamentary question to the Minister for Health Jennifer Carrol MacNeil, that the TB incidence rate increased in 2024 and is now comparable to pre-pandemic levels.

The Director also confirmed that the rate and proportion of TB among people born outside of Ireland remains higher than among the Irish-born population (crude incidence rate of 20.4 vs 1.7 per 100,000 population; 72% vs 24% in 2024).

Provisional data for 2025 also indicates that this trend is continuing as the higher rate of TB among people born outside Ireland reflects the higher rate of TB in the majority of their countries of origin:

“I am deeply alarmed by overall picture this data is painting. Clearly, we have a growing public health threat and clearly whatever measures are being taken to reduce the incidence rate here is not working. We already have a health system in utter chaos and lacking in capacity; the last thing we need is a major resurgence of TB,” said Deputy Nolan.

“The facts are the facts. This increase is being driven by population groups coming from countries of origin that have exceptionally high rates of the disease. That is something that should concern us all.”

“I appreciate that the National Strategy has screening controls, but if that only happens once the people arrive then I fail to see how it could meaningfully contribute to a reduction in the incidence rate of TB if the additional parallel measures are not in place; including those on the migration end of the problem.”

“We also know that TB is most likely to pass from person to person after prolonged, close contact, such as living in cramped accommodation with high numbers of residents. This is exactly what is happening in many of our IPAS centres, where excessive over-capacity is a major crisis.”

“We cannot bury our heads in the sand on this issue simply because the facts point to an uncomfortable direction. The Government and the HSE must both work in concert to protect everyone on this island from any further and dramatic rise in this awful and debilitating condition,” concluded Deputy Nolan.