Knackery planning bid leads to appeal for Askeaton cattle mortality probe
This has emerged in a planning appeal to An Bord Pleanala by Leonard Mullins, Clarina. His planning application to Limerick County Council for a knackery at Craggs, Barrigone, Askeaton had been refused.
A significantly higher call on his services around Askeaton is part of the argument he is putting forward in his planning appeal.
A spokesman for his firm told Irish Examiner Farming that they get calls every day of week from Askeaton area farmers seeking disposal of dead livestock, compared to calls only a couple of days per week from other parts of the large area of Co Limerick in which they operate.
Local farmers believe this is an indication of abnormally high livestock mortality around Askeaton, and has added further credence to their demands for greater investigations.
Limerick IFA has responded by writing to Pat Meskell, the Department of Agriculture’s Chief Veterinary Officer for Co Limerick, requesting Cattle Movement Monitoring System records be examined to determine the rate of cattle mortality around Askeaton.
“There is a high degree of concern and we request that you report back to us at your earliest convenience”, said the letter from Limerick IFA Chairman, Michael Roche.
The Askeaton area was the subject of a major multi-agency investigation in 2001 because of the number of animal deaths on farms, but the investigation failed to identify any reason.
According to IFA Chairman, Michael Roche, some local farmers have become reluctant to release details of livestock deaths on their farms because of fear of being labelled as “bad” farmers.
