Cullen asked to help SAC talks

Minister for the Environment Martin Cullen was this week urged to intervene in the ongoing talks between the farm organisations and his officials on SACs. An impasse has developed on designation of land along rivers, IFA Connacht vice president Brendan O'Mahony said.

The Department has reduced to 5 meters the area that it wants designated but IFA is insisting that no land be designated, O'Mahony said. "Already farmers are complying with Good Farming Practice and are subject to other environmental legislation,'' he pointed out.

The Department is also trying to row back on the 1997 agreement which agreed to pay compensation between the pre and the post designation value of land, he claimed.

Animals are housed at this time of year for environmental, production and animal welfare reasons. Housing which is structurally safe may be the cause of respiratory disease in livestock. Adequate ventilation is essential. This is addressed in the new minimum specifications for the structure of agricultural buildings - S.101

Livestock houses shall have a minimum eaves height of 3m. The roof slope shall be a minimum of 15 degrees. In monopitch buildings or roofs with spaced sheeting it may be 12 degrees.

REPS

Ventilation inlets

Ventilation works on the principle that warm air is lighter than cold air and rises, being replaced by cold fresh air. Inlets should be located directly under the eaves for the full length of each side of the house. Depth of opening ranges from 450mm for houses less than 15m, to 750mm for houses over 24m wide.

A roof overhang or canopy up to 400mm prevents most rain access. If vented sheeting, spaced boarding, or fabric or plastic mesh is used, the inlet opening must be increased to 1.5m.

Ventilation outlet

An outlet should be provided along the full length of the roof apex. It ranges from 450mm for houses less than 15m, to 750mm for houses over 24m wide. Where ridge caps are used, they must be placed leaving a clear space above the roof, ranging from 275mm for houses under 15m, to 425mm for houses over 24m. Curved or angled upstands are preferred. They prevent most rain access. Where spaced sheeting with a gap of at least 20mm is installed over the entire roof, then a central ridge outlet, though recommended, is not mandatory.

Buildings last longer and remain in better condition where good ventilation conditions have been achieved. The temperature inside should not be much higher than that outside. Buildings in exposed areas are often closed up.

Remember, ventilation must be effective on calm days. Rain never harmed livestock, but poor ventilation kills.