Dairy G€N€ IR€LAND – Ireland’s National Dairy Breeding Programme
G€N€ IR€LAND is the national dairy breeding programme, playing a key role in strengthening the genetic foundation of the Irish dairy industry. Its primary aim is to deliver the best possible genetics to dairy farmers through a coordinated, industry-wide progeny testing programme.
How the programme works?
High-EBI young bulls are first identified in Irish dairy herds by participating AI companies. These bulls undergo genomic testing and, if they meet the required criteria, they are nominated for the Dairy Gene Ireland Programme.
Discounted semen from these young test bulls is then supplied to participating herds through AI company sales representatives and technicians.
Straws cost €12 each and are sold in packs of 25, 35, or 50.
Farmers using these straws must participate in milk recording and provide accurate data, including:
Insemination dates
Sire details
Calving surveys
Health information on daughters of these bulls, as it becomes available
This data is essential to ensure sires achieve high reliability in the shortest possible timeframe.
For most farmers, these records are already being collected, so little additional work is required.
Gene Ireland Spring Programme
Each year, the programme aims to progeny test 80–100 young genomic bulls. Several breed-pack options are available, typically including:
Holstein/Friesian (HO/FR)
Pure Friesian (FR)
Multi-breed (mix of HO/FR & JEX)
Pack availability depends on the bulls nominated by participating AI companies. Herd-owners cannot choose individual bulls; instead, each pack is randomly allocated and represents a balanced selection of sires with an average EBI close to the overall group.
Straw Pack Options
25 straws: 5 bulls × 5 straws
35 straws: 5 bulls × 7 straws
50 straws: 5 bulls × 10 straws
Herd-owners are free to use the straws as they see fit, but all straws must be used within the assigned season.
Straws cost €12 each (price subject to change) and are billed directly by the organisation providing the AI service.
Please note: If using a technician service, standard arm-service and visit fees still apply.
Benefits of the programme for farmers
Discounted Access to Top Genetics
Gain access to elite young sires at a significantly reduced cost.
Accelerated Genetic Gain
Use of high-EBI young bulls helps improve herd performance and increases the rate of genetic progress.
Increased Interest from AI Companies
AI companies continually source young animals for breeding. Herds using high-merit bulls may attract increased interest.
Free Weighing Service
Eligible herds may have cows weighed at no cost. Cow weights improve the reliability of the Maintenance Sub-Index.
Free Linear Scoring
Some Gene Ireland progeny test heifers, along with a selection of contemporaries, can be linear scored free of charge.
The Impact of Gene Ireland Bulls
To date, almost 1,200 bulls have been tested through the Dairy Gene Ireland Programme. The ongoing collection of high-quality data is critical for generating accurate genetic and genomic evaluations. These data form the basis of each bull’s first proof.
Accurate first proofs are essential — not only for identifying elite young sires, but also for enhancing the genomic training population, thereby improving the reliability of genomic evaluations across the industry.
Efficient progeny testing means new bulls enter the ICBF Active Bull List each year, giving farmers more choice and continually raising the average EBI of the national team of sires.
While foreign sires predominated in the early years, the programme has transformed Ireland’s breeding landscape. Today, over 90% of sires tested are Irish-bred, demonstrating the success and impact of Dairy Gene Ireland.