Minister says animal burials restricted and must be licensed

DEAD ANIMALS cannot be buried on farms except in exceptional circumstances and only under licence, according to the Minister for Agriculture. Brendan Smith was responding yesterday to calls from the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) to allow farmers to deliver their animals to rendering plants, hunts and kennels and to allow burials in remote areas designated for the purpose.

The farming organisations have been angered by the removal of a subsidy in the Budget which covered most of the charges of disposing of dead animals through rendering plants since 2000.

They said its ending would cost the farming community at least €22 million annually.

Derek Deane, deputy IFA president, said it was unacceptable for the Minister to pull the plug on funding without putting in place procedures for alternative, cost-effective and appropriate methods of disposal.

Mr Deane said farmers must be allowed to avail of direct delivery to renderers, hunts and kennels where these facilities were within viable reach of farmers.

In areas remote from these facilities, burial under licensing in suitable designated areas must be allowed.

On RTÉ’s News at One yesterday, Mr Smith said the scheme had been temporary, introduced at the height of the BSE crisis in 2000 which was now being targeted at cattle over 48 months.