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The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Mr Charlie McConalogue, has announced the resumption of Irish beef exports to China. Stakeholders in the industry have obviously welcoming this development, since the Chinese market previously imported Irish beef to the tune of €96 million in 2019.
Chinese buyers of Irish beef have placed orders with a number of processors and cattle eligible for export to China have been processed in a number of facilities throughout Ireland as of Friday, last January 27th 2023.
In total twenty four Irish sites are currently listed on the China Imported Food Enterprise Registration (CIFER) website, each approved to export beef to China, with some of these sites slaughtering cattle while other sites store or process the beef.
The Irish Meat Processors in Co. Tipperary who have been approved for the export of beef to China are as follows:
ABP Cahir Kilcommon, Cahir, Co. Tipperary.
ABP Nenagh Grange, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary.
Ashbourne Meat Processors (Roscrea) Castleholding, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary.
Irish beef exports to China and including Hong Kong, latter which operates as a special administrative region with different market access rules, were worth €45 million in 2020, down from exports of €96 million in 2019. Readers will remember that in May 2020, Irish beef shipments to China were suspended following the confirmation of an isolated case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or referred to as ‘Mad Cow Disease,’ a neurological disorder of cattle.
Note: This isolated case of BSE did not enter the food chain and posed no risk to human health. Nevertheless, beef exports to China were immediately suspended at the time, purely as a precautionary measure, and in line with the bilateral protocol on trade agreed with the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC).
  
A farming family near the village of Lorrha, at the north tip of Co Tipperary, say they have lost more than 70 sheep, following a savage dog attack on their flock after Christmas.
The attack was first discovered by local farmer Mr Donal O’Donoghue, on December 27th, which found some 50 sheep killed and another 20 having to be put down due to serious injuries.
Since the initial discovery, a number of sheep that had survived the attack have also since died.
The Chairperson of the Irish Farmers Association, Mr Kevin Comiskey has stated that such ongoing dog attacks, (the 3rd attack in the midwest in recent weeks), on sheep flocks are no longer acceptable and he has called for an emergency meeting at top government level to obtain legislation, including proper responsibility for dog licensing and compulsory microchipping, same to be brought solely under the control of the Department of Agriculture.
Following this Lorrha December 27th savage attack, some sheep still remain missing, others have been located with their entire faces and body parts ripped off. Those located dead were found strewn about everywhere at the location.
Gardaí are now investigating and we understand they have already attended at the scene of this savage attack.
- One in 20 private water supplies failed to meet the standard for E. coli, compared to 1 in 200 for public water supplies.
- Local authorities are not monitoring over a quarter of small private supplies for E. coli .
- More than 60% of government funding available to deal with water quality failures went unused by suppliers.
The EPA yesterday released the Drinking Water Quality in Private Group Schemes and Small Private Supplies 2021.
Drinking water is provided by over 380 group water schemes to approximately 200,000 people across rural communities in Ireland.
Additionally, over 1,700 small private supplies (premises like hotels, pubs and restaurants, crèches, nursing homes and national schools) provide water to approximately 60,000 staff, customers and service users on a daily basis.
Meeting E.coli standards is a basic requirement in the provision of safe drinking water. In 2021, one in twenty private supplies were found to have E. coli contamination, indicating that the water supply has not been properly disinfected.
The failure of these disinfection systems put the health of approximately 6,000 people, that use these drinking water supplies throughout the country, at risk.
In addition, twenty-one private group schemes (7%) failed to meet the standard for THMs, including five schemes that the European Commission has identified as being of particular concern.
Trihalomethanes (THM) are a by-product of the treatment process and are formed where there is an excess of organic matter in the water source.
Commenting on the findings of the report, Dr Tom Ryan, Director of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement said: “Compliance with drinking water standards in private supplies for E.coli and THMs hasn’t improved in recent years. It is essential that works to improve water quality are carried out as soon as possible to eliminate serious risks to people’s health. Private water suppliers are obliged to make sure their drinking water is clean and wholesome for consumers. Local authorities must investigate supplies that fail to meet drinking water quality standards and, where necessary, follow up with enforcement action to protect public health.”
Funding is available to group water schemes and household well owners for improvements to their supplies through the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme (MARWP).
During the 2019-2021 MARWP funding cycle over 60% (€36 million) of funding available for infrastructural improvements went unused by water suppliers.
Mr Noel Byrne, Programme Manager of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Enforcement said: “Water quality in private supplies consistently lags behind public water quality. It is disappointing to see that €36million of funding was not used by suppliers to address infrastructural needs at problematic private supplies. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage needs to complete its review of rural drinking water services, with the purpose of providing direction and support to water suppliers and to eliminate public health risks.”
During 2021, over a quarter of small private supplies, serving food businesses, nursing homes, crèches and B&Bs were not monitored. In addition, although there are 1,700 small private supplies registered with local authorities there may be many more that are unregistered. If a supply isn’t registered and hasn’t been monitored, there is no information on the quality of the drinking water provided to consumers.
Water suppliers in conjunction with local authorities must ensure that private supplies are registered, and that monitoring is undertaken in line with the Regulations.
This report outlines the actions that need to be taken to address the issues highlighted.
The full EPA report is available HERE.
For the first time ever, Ireland has crowned two world ploughing champions at this year’s world ploughing championships held in Ratheniska, Co. Laois.
The winners were announced, following a Gala Banquet, bringing the event to a close.
Mr Eamonn Tracey a resident of Co. Carlow won the Supreme World Conventional Ploughing Championship, while Wexford man, Mr John Whelan, won the Reversible Ploughing competition.
Both men are expected to represent Ireland at the World Ploughing contest next year, in 2023.
Amongst the various winners, North Tipperary was well represented with the 3 furrow conventional plough class – Junior, going to Mr Ciaran Milne, with 138 points.
In the U28 conventional junior plough class, Mr Ethan Harding, Tipperary North, took third place, with 93 points.
The event which returned for the first time in three years, following the Covid-19 epidemic; saw attendance figure for the 91st, 2022, National Ploughing Championships, reaching 277,000, over the three day period, with exhibitors and visitors alike totally declaring the event an outstanding success.
Justice sector representatives on hand to discuss victims’ rights at Department’s stand #328, Row 20 ‘Supporting Victims of Crime’.
Over the course of three days at the Ploughing Championships starting from tomorrow, September 20th , 2022, representatives from the Department of Justice, the Irish Prison Service, the Courts Service, the Legal Aid Board and the Victims of Crime Helpline, will be working together to support victims of crime.
Staff from across the Justice Sector will be on hand at Stand #328, Row 20 under the headline ‘Supporting Victims of Crime’ to speak to members of the public about their rights and supports available, as set out in the Victims Charter, if they become or have been victims of crime.
Members of An Garda Síochána will also be there to discuss how An Garda Síochána supports and helps victims throughout the reporting and investigation process, with a view to emphasising that nobody should feel afraid to report a crime.
Representatives from the Courts Service will focus on the technological facilities in place that make the courts process easier for victims, for example the use of video-link and screens in trials. They will also be able to explain the work of court accompaniments organisations funded by the Department of Justice, such as Victims Support at Court (VSaC).
The Irish Prison Service will be highlighting the Victims Liaison Office of the Prison Service, which can liaise with victims on relevant developments in the sentence management of a prisoner, for example temporary release, which a victim may wish to be aware of.
The Legal Aid Board will be available to speak to visitors to the stand about legal aid services for victims of crime.
The Crime Victims Helpline will also be present to highlight their national support service, whether by freephone, text or by email.
Speaking ahead of the event, Minister for Justice Mrs Helen McEntee said: “The National Ploughing Championship is an important event in the calendar each year for agricultural and rural communities in Ireland. While it is a fun and educational event that celebrates farming, rural life, music and entertainment, given the massive and diverse attendance, it is also a really positive opportunity to reach into communities.
That is why I am delighted to be able to attend and share our important message around the supports available to victims of crime. Being a victim of crime can happen to anyone, and if it does, it can be traumatic. If you do become a victim of crime, it is important to know that you are not alone – you are entitled to help and support from a range of agencies across the justice sector.
Colleagues from across the sector are available at the Department of Justice’s tent to engage with anybody interested or affected and I would encourage everyone to drop in to say hello.”
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