- Target:
- Department Agriculture
- Region:
- Ireland
The future of the Department of Agriculture's regional veterinary labs is part of a major internal review.
The review was headed by Professor Alan Reilly who is the former chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). The group reported back to the Department before Christmas and the Irish Farmers Journal has seen the document the group has produced.
The group made a series of recommendations having “considered the current and future needs of the Department and its external stakeholders”. The report was brought to a management board within the Department.
The proposed plans
The report can essentially be surmised into three main recommendations.
The first was to keep all six RVLs in Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, Backweston, Sligo and Athlone open.
The second was to, in time, close Limerick, Sligo and Kilkenny, with an upgrading of the facilities at the other three labs.
While the third was to close all bar Backweston and put out a fleet of vans on the road to carry out the roles of vets in the various RVLs.
Source: Irish Farmers Journal 12/01/17
We the farmers of the North West of Ireland request that the RVL in Sligo remains open to serve the farmers of the West and North West region.
The laboratory provides a vital service to the farming community in Counties Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Mayo, Roscommon, Galway and further afield.
It is a vital part of the farming infrastructure in these counties providing a services to farmers, vets and others involved in disease eradication and surveillance.
Bearing in mind the Governments commitment to rural Ireland not least in its Action Plan on Rural Development and the Department of Agriculture's necessary commitment to animal disease surveillance.
We the farmers, vets and other service users in the North West request the continued operation and development of the Sligo Regional Veterinary Laboratories.
Regards the Strategic review of DAFM's Laboratory Service
We, the undersigned, are strongly opposed to a closure of Sligo Regional Veterinary Laboratory for the following reasons.
Sligo Regional Veterinary Laboratory is of strategic importance to the North West of Ireland serving the Farming and Private Veterinary Practitioner community.
Often Post Mortems are carried out within 24 hours of the animals death, therefore improving the chances of diagnostic results and fast treatment response. Also emergencies like downer cows benefit immensely from same day results (blood taken to getting the result) to assist for the correct treatment. Fast acting and fast results play an important part of Animal Health and Welfare.
Investigation and Surveillance for Ireland are only sensible if the whole country is involved hence the necessity of a location in the North West.
Sligo Regional Veterinary Laboratory is the only independent Laboratory Service in the North West and very important for a complete understanding of disease patterns and disease outbreaks.
In the situation of a hard border to Northern Ireland, Sligo RVL will prove an important strategic location for Surveillance and in controlling disease outbrakes.
An early warning system as envisaged by "Foodwise", needs to have full geographical cover to function efficiently.
As shown in previous surveys, location is a big factor for farmers in deciding to utilise RVLs, meaning a loss of data from the North West if Sligo RVL was to close.
A collection service is costly and can not replace the quick admission of animals done by farmers themselves. Collection for PM's is a new concept and might not be utilised as expected.
Also the close relationship between Sligo RVL Veterinarians and PVPs is vital for the efficient and prompt treatment in individual and outbreak situations. Helplines might be beneficial, but will only be used in a fraction of cases. This means again loss of data and an undermined surveillance system for Ireland. It will also affect Animal Health and Welfare of the herds in the North West of Ireland.
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The Save Sligo Regional Veterinary Laboratories petition to Department Agriculture was written by North West Farmers and is in the category Animal Welfare at GoPetition.