A man has appeared before Donegal District Court on 135 charges relating to movement of cattle across the border.

Stephen Douglas Rowe of 3 Tawnawanny Road, Leggs, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh was before Judge Sandra Murphy at Donegal District Court on Monday, 24 April.

He is charged with 24 counts of exporting a bovine animal to Northern Ireland without the required health certificates.

He faces 24 charges of having a bovine animal intended for export to Northern Ireland without having its current status and origin confirmed by the Department of Food, Agriculture and the Marine.

Rowe is also charged with 24 counts of having a bovine animal for export without an intradermal tuberculin test carried out during the 30 days preceding loading.

These offences all allegedly took place on 18 January 2021 at Bridgetown, Laghey, Co Donegal.

Further charges

The defendant is further charged with offences on dates between March 9, 2021 and March 30, 2021 inclusive at Bridgetown, Laghey.

They include a further 14 counts of exporting a bovine animal to Northern Ireland without the required health certificates; 14 counts of having a bovine animal intended for export to Northern Ireland without having its current status and origin confirmed by the Department of Food, Agriculture and the Marine; and 14 counts of having a bovine animal for export without an intradermal tuberculin test carried out during the 30 days preceding loading.

Rowe is also facing 10 charges of importing a bovine from Northern Ireland without the required health certificates on February 24, 2021.

On the same date, he allegedly imported from Northern Ireland 10 bovine animals for slaughter to Moyvalley Meats, Broadford, Co Kildare, without the animals having a negative intradermal tuberculin test carried out during the preceding 30 days.

All offences are breaches of the European Communities (Trade in Bovine Animals and Swine) Regulations 1997.

False information

Further charges related to impeding an officer and giving false information about the whereabouts of animals in his herd on 21 January 2021.

State solicitor Kieran Dillon said the Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine had directed summary disposal, meaning the matter will be heard in the district court.

Defence solicitor Gerry McGovern requested disclosure of prosecution evidence.

The case was adjourned to September.