Court awards dairy farmer €300,000

TIPPERARY farmer John Hanrahan has secured some €300,000 damages at the High Court over the failure of the Department of Agriculture to return to him 233 of a total of 355 cattle seized from his farm following a dispute about their welfare.

Mr Hanrahan, who previously won a landmark case over damage to his animals from pollution from a neighbouring drug manufacturing factory, had sued the minister for agriculture and food over the seizure and sale of the cattle.

The department seized 355 cattle from the dairy herd belonging to Mr Hanrahan at his farm at Ballcurkeen, Carrick-on-Suir, over two days on March 15 and 16, 2006. The High Court found welfare issues justified the seizure at that time.