The Tipperary Cheese Company must pay a total of €7,440 in fines and legal expenses after Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) secured a conviction against the company for a slurry pollution incident.
The incident occurred in December 2023 at Leigh, Two Mile Borris, on the Clover river system in Tipperary.
On 18 February, Thurles District Court heard evidence from Tipperary Cheese Company, which IFI stated did not match up with photographs showing deep slurry in the water, not just a spillage.
Slurry evident at Clover River system after the December 2023 incident. / Inland Fisheries Ireland
IFI said that the issue had been ongoing for a considerable time before action was taken.
The dairy company was found to have caused slurry to flow into a tributary of the River Suir and it was noted that the incident constituted a very serious breach on Tipperary Cheese Company’s behalf.
“The Clover river was found to be in a poor condition, with polluting material discharging into this river from a drain full of slurry,” IFI’s southeastern regional director Lynda Connor stated.
IFI encouraged the public to report illegal fishing or suspected incidents of pollution. / Inland Fisheries Ireland
“Ensuring clean and healthy water is not just a responsibility, but a necessity for the survival of fish and the ecosystems they thrive in.
“This successful prosecution is part of Inland Fisheries Ireland’s very determined efforts to protect the State’s rivers, streams and lakes,” Connor said.
The company pled guilty to permitting deleterious matter to fall into waters contrary to Section 171 of the 1959 Fisheries Consolidation Act.
The company was fined €2,500 in addition to being ordered to pay €4,940 in legal costs.
The Tipperary Cheese Company must pay a total of €7,440 in fines and legal expenses after Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) secured a conviction against the company for a slurry pollution incident.
The incident occurred in December 2023 at Leigh, Two Mile Borris, on the Clover river system in Tipperary.
On 18 February, Thurles District Court heard evidence from Tipperary Cheese Company, which IFI stated did not match up with photographs showing deep slurry in the water, not just a spillage.
Slurry evident at Clover River system after the December 2023 incident. / Inland Fisheries Ireland
IFI said that the issue had been ongoing for a considerable time before action was taken.
The dairy company was found to have caused slurry to flow into a tributary of the River Suir and it was noted that the incident constituted a very serious breach on Tipperary Cheese Company’s behalf.
“The Clover river was found to be in a poor condition, with polluting material discharging into this river from a drain full of slurry,” IFI’s southeastern regional director Lynda Connor stated.
IFI encouraged the public to report illegal fishing or suspected incidents of pollution. / Inland Fisheries Ireland
“Ensuring clean and healthy water is not just a responsibility, but a necessity for the survival of fish and the ecosystems they thrive in.
“This successful prosecution is part of Inland Fisheries Ireland’s very determined efforts to protect the State’s rivers, streams and lakes,” Connor said.
The company pled guilty to permitting deleterious matter to fall into waters contrary to Section 171 of the 1959 Fisheries Consolidation Act.
The company was fined €2,500 in addition to being ordered to pay €4,940 in legal costs.
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