‘Zero progress on farm clean-up’

There had been “zero progress” in two years on the clean-up of a Co Kerry farm-yard where there was no proper provision for storage of soiled water and slurry, a county council solicitor told Tralee district court yesterday where the owners, a husband and wife, had been summonsed under EU legislation.

On February 18, 2013, Eileen Griffin of Killeentierna, Currow, Co Kerry and Denis Griffin of Hogan’s Place, Main St, Castleisland, at their holding at Killentierna, Currow, Castleisland, had failed to maintain storage facilities for organic fertiliser, soiled water and effluents from dunglands and farmyard manure pits in such a manner to prevent run off into groundwater, contrary to good agricultural practice, according to the summons.

Kerry County Council environmental officer Mark O’Sullivan already told the court when he first visited water was “seeping” onto the cul-de-sac road which served other houses and farmyards. Dairy cows were being kept but there was no suitable storage for waste. There had been a 6in to 8in pool of water in the public road.

Outhouse gutters were also an issue and farmyard facilities were “quite poor”.

When he visited again in recent weeks gutters had been improved, fine weather meant there was no road ponding, but” the substantial issue” with regard to the waste in an unlined lagoon 50 metres from the public road remained, the environmental officer claimed.

Ms Griffin told the court yesterday she had reduced her cattle to just 25 and many of were calves. She had also carried out €1,000 of work handing in receipts and said further work would be undertaken by a tradesman.

Judge James O’Connor told Ms Griffin more destocking was required and he would “like to see the tradesman” in court to outline other works he was undertaking. He adjourned to March to allow this.