Livestock farmers who buy or sell at marts will be interested to see the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) recently prosecuted a Co Galway auctioneer for operating without a PSRA licence. The auctioneer, Austin McInerney, trading as McInerney Auctioneers, was convicted at Gort Court and fined €500.
This was the first such investigation by the authority which resulted in conviction and fine since it was established in 2012.
The more than 100 farmers owed money after the collapse of Castleblayney Mart while it was trading without a licence will wonder why chair Geraldine Clarke and chief executive Maeve Hogan couldn’t get their enforcement mojo going a bit earlier.
It’s not as if the authority was unaware of problems among a minority of marts.
Licence
In 2016, it found another livestock mart to be trading without a licence and prosecuted the operator. He pled guilty and told the Court he would obtain a licence. On foot of this, the court did not impose a conviction or fine.
For his part, Austin McInerney has operated for many years at Church Street, Gort, Co Galway, selling general residential property and farms.
Cullinan interested in IFA top job
It seems current IFA treasurer and former North Tipp chair Tim Cullinan has his eyes set on becoming president of the IFA when Joe Healy’s second and final term ends in December 2019.
When asked from the floor at the North Tipperary IFA annual general meeting on Tuesday night if he would put his name in the hat for the top job, Tim was more than happy to answer and give a positive, if not categorical, response.
The Toomevara-based pig farmer said: “I have a very busy work schedule at the moment and I am honoured to be asked, but it is certainly something I will consider later in the year.”
No one in Nenagh was left with any doubt but that Tim has his eyes firmly fixed on the top job.
Tim Cullinan, former North Tipperary IFA Chair.
Overheard at the pet vet clinic
The Dealer was in the vet’s office last week when someone brought in their Jack Russell for attention. I’m not sure what the issue with the dog was, but the owner told the vet nurse: “Mind him, he’s a working dog.”
The nurse looked at the owner with a puzzled expression and asked what sort of work does a Jack Russell do?
“He’s a ratter, part of my pest control business,” the owner replied.
Now you know.
Vegan celebrity is a Mastermind
Where vegan societies source their financial backing is a constant intrigue for The Dealer. This is why I was interested to see Scottish actor Paul Higgins win a celebrity round of the BBC’s Mastermind in aid of The Vegan Society.
He gained an immediate advantage over the other competitors in the first round, answering 11/11 questions right on his chosen topic; the Watergate scandal.
One question that did trip him up was: “What is the French word for a certain type of leather that is named after their word for Sweden?”
The answer, of course, being “suede”.
He finished with 26 points, 11 more than the second place. Must be eating his clever beans.
Ireland faces horsemeat audit
I see that the Department of Agriculture is to be audited by EU health officials in 2019, to verify that processes in the food production chain in relation to horsemeat are in compliance with EU food law.
Poland, Romania and Belgium will all face the same audit. The countries selected are based on risk, I see.
Among other areas, the audit will look at the factories’ handling food of animal origin and the competent authorities (ie the Department) at the different levels involved in the organisation and performance of the official controls.
In the spotlight
Horsemeat will be one of four audits Ireland will be subject to in 2019, with feed additives, Ireland’s compliance with the sustainable use directive and geographical indicators also in the spotlight.
Dealer dances for joy over ANC
The Dealer isn’t known for his dancing feet, but took the family by surprise with an impromptu jig in the kitchen last week. The cause of The Dealer’s delight? A letter from the Department stating that the townland on the outfarm is – for the first time ever – eligible for an ANC payment. I’d imagine this is how the lads who won that €127m up north felt. No mart is safe.
Cavan dairy farmer Thomas Duffy will run for election to become Macra’s 37th president. Duffy, or @taesaveslives as he is known on Twitter, launched his campaign at a North West Macra meeting on Monday. He is the only candidate to declare for the position yet. Trevor Coffey, a full-time postman in Kerry, will run for the Munster vice-president job, along with Cork man Sean Wallace.
Thomas Duffy, Ramor Macra na Feirme, Cavan, with Seán Finan, Macra na Feirme president. \ Valerie O'Sullivan
Livestock farmers who buy or sell at marts will be interested to see the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) recently prosecuted a Co Galway auctioneer for operating without a PSRA licence. The auctioneer, Austin McInerney, trading as McInerney Auctioneers, was convicted at Gort Court and fined €500.
This was the first such investigation by the authority which resulted in conviction and fine since it was established in 2012.
The more than 100 farmers owed money after the collapse of Castleblayney Mart while it was trading without a licence will wonder why chair Geraldine Clarke and chief executive Maeve Hogan couldn’t get their enforcement mojo going a bit earlier.
It’s not as if the authority was unaware of problems among a minority of marts.
Licence
In 2016, it found another livestock mart to be trading without a licence and prosecuted the operator. He pled guilty and told the Court he would obtain a licence. On foot of this, the court did not impose a conviction or fine.
For his part, Austin McInerney has operated for many years at Church Street, Gort, Co Galway, selling general residential property and farms.
Cullinan interested in IFA top job
It seems current IFA treasurer and former North Tipp chair Tim Cullinan has his eyes set on becoming president of the IFA when Joe Healy’s second and final term ends in December 2019.
When asked from the floor at the North Tipperary IFA annual general meeting on Tuesday night if he would put his name in the hat for the top job, Tim was more than happy to answer and give a positive, if not categorical, response.
The Toomevara-based pig farmer said: “I have a very busy work schedule at the moment and I am honoured to be asked, but it is certainly something I will consider later in the year.”
No one in Nenagh was left with any doubt but that Tim has his eyes firmly fixed on the top job.
Tim Cullinan, former North Tipperary IFA Chair.
Overheard at the pet vet clinic
The Dealer was in the vet’s office last week when someone brought in their Jack Russell for attention. I’m not sure what the issue with the dog was, but the owner told the vet nurse: “Mind him, he’s a working dog.”
The nurse looked at the owner with a puzzled expression and asked what sort of work does a Jack Russell do?
“He’s a ratter, part of my pest control business,” the owner replied.
Now you know.
Vegan celebrity is a Mastermind
Where vegan societies source their financial backing is a constant intrigue for The Dealer. This is why I was interested to see Scottish actor Paul Higgins win a celebrity round of the BBC’s Mastermind in aid of The Vegan Society.
He gained an immediate advantage over the other competitors in the first round, answering 11/11 questions right on his chosen topic; the Watergate scandal.
One question that did trip him up was: “What is the French word for a certain type of leather that is named after their word for Sweden?”
The answer, of course, being “suede”.
He finished with 26 points, 11 more than the second place. Must be eating his clever beans.
Ireland faces horsemeat audit
I see that the Department of Agriculture is to be audited by EU health officials in 2019, to verify that processes in the food production chain in relation to horsemeat are in compliance with EU food law.
Poland, Romania and Belgium will all face the same audit. The countries selected are based on risk, I see.
Among other areas, the audit will look at the factories’ handling food of animal origin and the competent authorities (ie the Department) at the different levels involved in the organisation and performance of the official controls.
In the spotlight
Horsemeat will be one of four audits Ireland will be subject to in 2019, with feed additives, Ireland’s compliance with the sustainable use directive and geographical indicators also in the spotlight.
Dealer dances for joy over ANC
The Dealer isn’t known for his dancing feet, but took the family by surprise with an impromptu jig in the kitchen last week. The cause of The Dealer’s delight? A letter from the Department stating that the townland on the outfarm is – for the first time ever – eligible for an ANC payment. I’d imagine this is how the lads who won that €127m up north felt. No mart is safe.
Cavan dairy farmer Thomas Duffy will run for election to become Macra’s 37th president. Duffy, or @taesaveslives as he is known on Twitter, launched his campaign at a North West Macra meeting on Monday. He is the only candidate to declare for the position yet. Trevor Coffey, a full-time postman in Kerry, will run for the Munster vice-president job, along with Cork man Sean Wallace.
Thomas Duffy, Ramor Macra na Feirme, Cavan, with Seán Finan, Macra na Feirme president. \ Valerie O'Sullivan
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