Vet lab must be saved
Madam Editor,
I have recently read two interesting articles in your paper regarding the potential closing of our Regional Veterinary Laboratory. One was a press release from the IFA and the other was an article from Marc MacSharry TD.
A number of years ago an attempt was made to close the laboratory when the then Minister for Agriculture, the late Joe Walsh built a laboratory in his own constituency in Cork to cater for the farmers of Ireland.
With a lot of effort and help from John Ellis TD (retired) the laboratory remained open and it continued to provide an essential service to the farmers of the West and Northwest of Ireland.
The IFA has a very good press office which release a number of statements about the good work it does for the farmer. It is important to note however that other farm organisations were at the demonstration outside the Veterinary Laboratory also.
As a matter of interest there are two laboratories serving the needs of the farmers of Northern Ireland. This is an area which is smaller than that served by our Regional Veterinary laboratory. There are probably more farmers in the area covered by our laboratory also.
There are a number of reasons why I’m convinced that present government policy supported by the IFA livestock section is to hasten the exit of livestock farmers from their farms. Since the early 1980s the number of farmers in Ireland has almost halved to approximately 130,000. This is going to decrease rapidly in future years. The only way for a farmer to survive will be to have an off farm income also.
We are being regulated out of existence by government and EU policy. Our Northern Ireland farmers can no longer buy our livestock. Some factories there will not slaughter them. We give headlines to the free movement of people and goods within the EU. Let us start with having free movement of livestock restored in the Island.
Marc MacSharry’s point was interesting regarding the laboratory. Surely Marc and his fellow TDs should impress upon their leader that the threatened closure of the lab must be stopped immediately. Deputy Martin is in a position to do this. Eamon Scanlon TD raised the issue of the lab closing during question time with our then Taoiseach Enda Kenny. He agreed with Eamon that it should not be closed and that he would look into it immediately.
Marc is correct regarding an independent consultant being appointed to examine the situation. This is only to give the Government an easy way out.
If the laboratory is closed and the livestock farmers are left isolated regarding disease in livestock it would be a very serious situation. Also the location of the laboratory is ideal to serve the farmers as has been proved in the past.
There will probably be an election in the near future and if the laboratory is closed the livestock farmers of Ireland and their families must make sure that a Government which is not supporting one of our top industries which employs thousands of our citizens will not be elected aft er the next election.