THE Department of Agriculture has rejected any suggestion that the large-scale slaughter of old ewes currently being carried out in the west would not be done humanely.
About 220,000 mountain ewes at the end of their breeding cycle will be slaughtered under a programme to stop over-grazing of commonage and to help the fodder situation.
Yesterday, Compassion in World Farming in Ireland, said it had received a number of complaints alleging that the ewes were being mistreated.
A Department of Agriculture spokesman rejected any suggestion that there was cruelty involved in the scheme, which he said had been devised with animal welfare in mind.
"The scheme would reduce ewes on commonages and mountains in Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Kerry," he said.
