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Farmers in the west of Ireland have voiced concerns that the Regional Veterinary Laboratory (RVL) in Co Sligo could be closed down.
Last week, the Irish Farmers Journal exclusively reported that the future of the Department of Agriculture’s regional veterinary labs is part of a major internal review.
The review was headed by Professor Alan Reilly, who is the former chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
The group reported back to the Department before Christmas, and the Irish Farmers Journal has seen the document the group has produced.
The group made a series of recommendations, having “considered the current and future needs of the Department and its external stakeholders” in the report, which was brought to a management board within the Department.
The report can essentially be summarised into three main recommendations.
The first was to keep all six RVLs – in Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, Backweston, Sligo and Athlone – open.
The second was to, in time, close Limerick, Sligo and Kilkenny, with an upgrading of the facilities at the other three labs.
While the third was to close all bar Backweston and put a fleet of vans on the road to carry out the roles of vets in the various RVLs.
The potential outcome of the Sligo RVL being closed has raised concerns among farmers in the west and north west.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal on Wednesday, Sligo IFA chair JP Cowley said farmers are very concerned by the revelations.
“This is a serious situation, a very serious situation,” Cowley said.
“If Sligo was to lose its lab then there would be whole swathes of the west – from the top of Donegal to Belmullet to Galway – left without that valuable service.
“We built our reputation as a world-class food producer, and RVLs play a critical role in protecting our traceability standards. We need to have robust standards in the good times to protect us in the bad times,” he said.
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