Local Fine Gael Councillor and dairy farmer, John Dolan, has described the Prime Time Investigates programme pertaining to the exportation of calves as “disturbing, but not representative of what actually happens in dairy farms”.
“I watched the PrimeTime Investigates programme ‘Dairy’s Dirty Secrets Milking It’ and found what was shown as disturbing to watch. As a dairy farmer myself I cannot condone the manhandling of calves or any breaches of the rules and regulations that are in presently in place. This simply does not represent standard practice as regards the treatment of animals of any age on farms in Ireland,” Cllr Dolan stated.
The councillor noted that the farming industry must continue to ensure that comprehensive regulations remain in place and enforced by the relevant statutory bodies.
“We, as an industry, must ensure that the comprehensive laws presently in place are enforced by the Statutory bodies to protect our animals for which we care. It is important that we address the wrongdoing of the wrongdoers and let the full rigours of the law be utilised to deal with all those involved in any breach of the regulations,” Cllr Dolan added
Cllr Dolan stressed that the Irish dairy industry continues to remain to the global fore with regards to the production of five star quality produced food.
“The Irish dairy industry is a world leader in the production of top quality grass produced food, produced in an environmentally friendly way, by highly skilled farmers who take great pride in what they produce and how it is produced.
“In the same way that it is unfair and wrong to target all those in a broadcaster for the errors and misjudgment of a few, it is equally unfair to find 18,000 dairy farmers culpable for the wrongs and abuses perpetrated by a small number of people.
“We, as a nation, should be very proud of our dairy industry and the major contribution that it makes to both rural and urba
