Farmer agrees to produce missing sheep for slaughter

A Co Carlow farmer undertook at Gorey District Court in Co Wexford yesterday to produce 22 sheep missing from a flock which were…

A Co Carlow farmer undertook at Gorey District Court in Co Wexford yesterday to produce 22 sheep missing from a flock which were to be slaughtered as a precautionary measure against foot-and-mouth. Mr James Kavanagh, of Raheeleigh, Myshall, Co Carlow, was served with a notice of slaughter of the illegally imported herd of 541 sheep on March 16th by the Department of Agriculture. He appealed the State's decision to cull the herd to the District Court.

At the hearing at Bagenals town District Court on April 9th, Judge Donnchadh O Buachalla ordered the sheep be presented for slaughter. It emerged, however, that 22 of the herd were missing.

The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Mr Noel Davern, was seeking an enforcement of the order in court yesterday in relation to the missing sheep. However State solicitor for Co Carlow Mr Alan Millard said the missing animals were located and Mr Kavanagh would deliver them either alive or in carcass form. He sought an adjournment to next Tuesday. Solicitor for Mr Kavanagh, Mr Anthony O'Gorman, consented, but questioned the procedure and the jurisdiction of the court to deal with the matter. The difficulty, he said, was that the missing sheep were scattered over 8,000 acres on Mount Leinster. He said "Ten per cent of any herd will perish" and many of the animals don't have tags any more, but said they could identify carcasses and six live animals and his client was prepared to co-operate.

Mr O'Gorman pointed out that the sheep were imported "well prior to February 1st" and said his client had lost a lot. "He has been slurred as a foot-and-mouth smuggler, which he is not" he said.

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The State solicitor replied that the sheep should have been produced before that morning.

The judge ruled that on foot of Mr Kavanagh's undertaking to produce the sheep, he would adjourn the matter to Wicklow District Court on Tuesday.