Wool shed move ‘not meant to put buyers out of business’

EXTENSION of approval by the Department of Agriculture to wool sheds “is certainly not intended to drive buyers out of the business”, said Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith in the Dáil last week.

Minister Smith was responding to Fine Gael TD Paul Connaughton, who said it will become almost impossible for very small wool buyers to continue in business in 2010 due to the introduction of costly and unnecessary new regulations which will prevent them from buying wool.

Mr Smith said EU regulations for use or disposal of animal by-products will be implemented in a pragmatic and sympathetic manner. The regulations came into effect in Ireland in 2003, and implementation focused initially on the sectors of higher risk to public or animal health.