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Farmers protesting against the proposed closure of the Limerick regional veterinary laboratory (RVL) told the Irish Farmers Journal they had received assurances that the Department of Agriculture would take their views into consideration as part of the ongoing review of the State’s six RVLs.
“We got a commitment that there will be formal discussions and we will have an input as stakeholders,” said ICMSA deputy president Pat McCormack after a brief discussion with Department officials visiting the lab to brief staff on the review this Wednesday.
Eddie Hennessy, Ballysimon, Limerick (left) and Denis Carroll, Killarney, Co Kerry protest against the proposed closure of the Limerick Regional Veterinary Laboratory.\Liam Burke/Press 22
Around 25 farmers from the ICMSA and ICSA staged a protest outside the facility in Meelick, Co Clare, which, along with RVLs in Sligo and Kilkenny faces the axe under one of the review’s proposed scenarios. A similar protest took place in Kilkenny earlier this month.
McCormack said that the FoodWise 2025 expansion strategy for the agri-food sector hinged on the best health status in Irish herds. “These labs around the country are the cornerstone in achieving this,” he said.
ICSA general secretary Eddie Punch described the Limerick RVL as “a hugely important resource”.
“This lab works very well with private veterinary practitioners, so that farmers can get on top of a disease outbreak and infections scenario as quickly as possible,” he said.
Review proposals could see the nearest RVL moved to Bishopstown, Co Cork, with another option to centralise all labs at a national centre in Backweston, Co Kildare with a fleet of vehicles to collect samples and fallen animals around the country.
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“If they moved the lab anywhere else, it would be too far away for most farmers and farmers just wouldn’t bother going,” said ICMSA dairy chairman Gerald Quain. “Disease could go unnoticed or unchecked.”
As for mobile collections, Punch commented that the saving to the Department would likely be negligible as farmers currently bring animals to the regional labs at their own cost.
Protestors also raised the short time window available to have fallen animals examined, with ICMSA Clare chairman Martin McMahon giving the example of an animal who died on his farm on a Saturday and could not be fully examined when brought to the RVL the next Monday morning.
Additional transport times would increase such problems, while “if an animal dies and is brought here, the results will back with the farms within 24 hours,” McMahon said.
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