The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has said that videos which show cattle being euthanised on a farm in the west of Ireland, under Department of Agriculture supervision, are "unacceptable and shocking".
On Thursday last, the Department carried out an enforcement action on a farm in Co Roscommon where a number of cattle were destroyed on animal welfare grounds.
It carried out a similar action on a farm in Clare on Friday. It is not known how many animals were destroyed.
IFA animal health chair David Hall said his association is seeking an urgent meeting with the Department of Agriculture chief veterinary officer about Department protocols to deal with alleged welfare and animal traceability breaches on farms.
Strict protocols urged
“The videos we have seen online apparently showing how animals were euthanised on two farms last Friday, under Department of Agriculture supervision, are unacceptable and shocking,” he said.
“Whatever about the rights and wrongs of the particular case against the herd owner, which is a matter for the courts, there must be a better way of dealing with issues than we saw last Friday.
“There may be times where animals have to be euthanised, but there must be strict protocols around this,” he said.
The widely circulated videos purport to show cattle lined up in a crush before being euthanised and dead animals in a pen with live animals.
The footage also shows a tractor moving a carcase across a pen and carcases being loaded into a knackery lorry.
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