Irish Examiner View: Cattle-rustling incidents a sign of the times

Cattle have been taken in incidents in West Cork, North Kerry, Laois, and Kilkenny in recent weeks. File Picture.

The recent spate of cattle-rustling in West Cork and Kerry is, in some ways a throwback to times when such crimes were easily committed and rarely punished. In other ways it is a deeply depressing indication of the times in which we live.

It has been suggested, despite rigorous tagging and testing, that the animals being rustled are being stolen to order, butchered and sold into a growing black market. 

That 40 cattle have been taken in incidents in West Cork, North Kerry, Laois, and Kilkenny in recent weeks indicates a growing trend. 

The thefts seem to have been particularly well organised — in the West Cork case, the animals were taken from an unoccupied outside farm in a very remote area remote in an operation which had to involve several people and co-ordinated planning — is a particular concern to agriculture authorities and An Garda Síochána.

But at a time when, because of rampant inflation, many families are finding it difficult to put food on the table, the theft of cattle with the intention of butchering them and selling on the meat, might not be such a huge surprise.

What is a shock is the fact that the perpetrators seem to feel their task in an easy one. In a country with the highest level of food traceability anywhere, that seems very unusual.

Rural Irish life is under attack on many levels, but rustling is an unwanted and very annoying new threat. 

Co-ordinated and swift action is needed to protect not only farmers and their stock, but also potentially unwitting customers.