A Co Tipperary farmer has lost a High Court bid to stop the sale by the Department of Agriculture of about 150 cattle removed from his farm by Department officials last March.
Mr Justice Frank Clarke said he had concluded that lawyers for the Minister for Agriculture had made an arguable case that Mr John Hanrahan's farm was not capable of sustaining any more livestock units than it currently has.
The case arose after Department officials visited Mr Hanrahan's 250 acre farm at Ballydine, Carrick on Suir on March 15th last and removed 391 cows, calves and heifers on grounds of animal welfare concerns.
The officials later brought some feedstuffs to the farm and agreed to allow Mr Hanrahan retain his milking herd of some 120 animals.
The Department planned to sell some of the animals removed from the farm and injunction proceedings were then brought on behalf of Mr Hanrahan.
As well as seeking an injunction restraining the sale, Mr Hanrahan also sought to have the animals brought back to the farm but the judge also ruled against this.
A full hearing of proceedings by Mr Hanrahan against the Minister will be held at a later date and Mr Justice Clarke put the case in for mention on June 23rd next.