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AGRICULTURE MINISTER MICHAEL Creed says that the five cattle were shot dead by army marksmen “in the interests of public safety”.
Speaking in the Dáil today about the incident in Monaghan that was described as “outrageous” by Michael Healy-Rae TD, Minister Creed said the decision to shoot the livestock was made “reluctantly”.
Creed said that the cattle were of a “feral nature” and that efforts to contain them were unsuccessful.
“The department is not in the business of shooting cattle,” he added.
The cattle in question had been brought under the control of an official assignee following debt collection proceedings and Creed said that they had access to a public road.
“Significant efforts had been made to contain the animals, but these proved futile because of their feral nature,” he said.
“I appreciate that the outcome was a sight that no one wanted to behold, but what if the cattle had caused a serious, even fatal, accident on the public road?”
My department would have equally been in the dock. It was a no-win situation but, in the assignee invoking the protocol and the participation of the garda, my department’s veterinary service and the Defence Forces, there are sufficient checks and balances to ensure that this is not something that is done lightly.
The minister said that protocol invoked that meant the Defence Forces shot the cattle was “a last resort for the department”.
Creed also noted that, while the cattle did not have TB, their herd was
TB restricted on 18 February due to the disclosure of TB lesions in cattle slaughtered from the herd.
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Complete co-incidence that Martin Ferris chose this story to make a rare public comment on.
Nothing to do with the fact that the farmer involved had a CAB judgement against him for €1.7 million for alleged border smuggling.
Nothing whatsoever.
Ferris – tough on those who shoot cattle. Not so tough on those who shoot Gardai.
Those cattle have a sinister look..
Brinster. Miaow!! But well said all the same
The state really does employ the crème da le crème of idiots to make decisions. There has been so many one such as the blonde roma child incident.
I am not an admirer of Martin Ferris, far from it and I was not aware of his comments on the shooting of these cattle and the farmer at the center of this awful drama may indeed have judgments against him but the cattle are just animals and we were initially told they had to be shot as they were infected with TB and that they would infect neighboring herds, the Minister Michael Creed has now admitted these cattle did not have TB and they were shot simply according to him because they were feral, all farm animals are feral, none of them are house pets, this makes the manner of their shooting all the worse and is as most of us suspected a spiteful and vengeful act probably because the farmer was not co operating with the debt collectors, these cattle lived in a very remote area, the photographs show few domestic dwellings if any in the vicinity of this farm, it seems the Minister is struggling to defend the cruel treatment afforded these animals who appear to be yearlings.
Source for this?!
Padraic ,source for what ?
Brinster can you link the article that states the CAB judgement against the farmer. Iv been looking but can’t see it.
If you google the farmers name and criminal assets bureau links come up readily enough.
You won’t as it was a bank debt he had not a cab bill
Call them to dinner and see how them cattle eat and become easy going .. a mad state mob kills…
“Creed said that the cattle were of a “feral nature” and that efforts to contain them were unsuccessful.”
In my view, what bull excuse the pun but cattle are curious animals but they don’t like strangers especially an army of them scaring them, if that is feral to him then I am gobsmacked.
I fear this is just in my view excuse making.
Hahaha Cattle are feral. They don’t turn around tell you too get put of there field.
That minister is talking boloxs,s every morning going to work I pass cattle on the roads in summer the tripe we have to hear from these men goes beyond senility
Google TB lesions & the word Feral
They didn’t have TB it turns out !!!!
I’ve heard of a feral cat but never feral cattle!
Something very odd about this story. The official line coming from govt has changed several times. Initially told they had TB and now they didn’t but the herd did? Something stinks to high heaven here.
If the herd had it, they could not take a chance on the loose cattle not having it. I was wondering why so much hullabaloo about this & then I seen the link to cross border smuggling. Something does stink but not with the actions of the officials!
I have lived in the country side all my life and never heard or seen feral cattle. Those cattle look like limousine cattle which all farmers will tell you are a bit wilder than other breeds( a bit like a springer spaniel is a bit more jumpy and energetic than a poodle). as I said in another post a local farmer with two good cattle dogs would have rounded up these animals in no time.
I don’t know what your talking about. You killed a donkey and through him over a cliff.
Obviously it was a last resort. The Healy Rae’s of the world prefer conspiracies. It’s hardly like Irish military personal would be scared of cows or have a lust for shooting them
A coward you are, Withnail, an expert on bulls you are not!
Boy. I intend to have you, even if it must be burglary!
Now, look, you. Them pheasants are for his pot. These eels are for my pot. Now, what makes you think I should give you something for your pot?
Tariq/No2 seriously, new profiles time.
Maybe it is a conspiracy.
Maybe they were zombie cows infected with a new strain of BSE! The army just saved the world!!!
Who the hell ever heard of ”Ferrel” domestic animals… They are NOT Buffalo roaming the Prairie….. Bison , Tigers, Lions, Leopards in the Serangeti….
Have you ever heard of feral cats?! Dogs can also go feral so ‘domesticated’ animals do go feral. What would have been the difference between these animals being shot like they were, then chased and chased, cornered and scared. Put in the back of a Lorry they have never experienced before, taken to an abattoir and then put in a crush before being humanised!
I didn’t know cows can be humanized Michael. Maybe I was a cow in another life. Oh wait, no, I’m a cow in this life :-)
I was very moo-ved by this articled. But was there no udder way to control them?
The Healy Rae’s are milking this for all it’s worth.
What’s done is done. Although I’m not amoosed. Let’s not cry over spilled milk.
I suspect cowspiracy…!!
I know Healy Rae was talking off the hoof, but his comments were low.
Oooohhhh…. The steaks have been raised…
Settle down Rosie, I have no beef with you.
Can’t take me on? I dairy ya!! :)
I think it’s pasture bedtime you two.
I don’t have the stomachs for it.
Ah ya butchered that one Petr!!
Heifer-y body doesn’t feel the same.
Well done, it’s bloody rare someone says something veally honest here
Unconfirmed reports that a further two cows were shot but were not seriously injured; just grazed.
Ah I’ve herd enough of this..
‘Tis Friesian tonight. I might hit the hay soon meself.
I think it’s pasture bedtime, Rosie.
@Rosie Murray,
You think it’s funny to make jokes over the deaths of innocent dumb animals?
You really are a disgusting person.
Shut up Eamon, it’s about time we beefed up security around here anyway
@James O Brien,
Is that the best “joke” you can come up with?
Eamon is in a bad mooooooooood
Those same cattle were no threat to anyone or a safety issue from birth, amazing what public servants can construe from normal situations.
Cows lives matter,
More like a hunting resort really.
They were approachimg in with a menacing look. It looked like they were reaching for something,possibly a gun. We had no choice, we dropped those homie steers.
Michael Creed, thought you were well above the average FG numpty standard. Do you not realise that more and more people are seeing through the hog-wash that FG has been serving up to the people of Ireland. Clearly, this inane hog-wash continues as part of the new FG / FF government.
Very disappointed in you. Your statement is a falsity, lacks any credence and by the way, there is a humane method to put animals down. You are a pathetic individual. Let’s hope, despite the great efforts of the media, that Irish people get sense and kick FG / FF where it hurts at the next election.
The future is:- http://www.freeparliament.org
Has nobody got a lasso?
Wouldn’t happen in India.
I’m in Nicaragua at the moment. Cows and armed soldiers sharing the public roads
Tell us more about yourself Anne Marie.
Interesting trip. Enjoy it.
Have a coffee for me.
Marksmen my balls. I’d do better aiming with a spud gun. Them cattle were riddled. I saw one photo with 4-5 shots to the face and neck. The smell of bullshit (no pun intended) is insane.
ok you try putting 4 bullets into a moving target 1ftsquare 100m away while standing
Why would they have been 100m away?
I seen a dead cow collection man shoot a cow in our yard one time. Small gun, he stood 10 foot away from the animal. One bullet straight between the eyes, the cow stood for about 10 seconds and dropped to the ground dead. If these boys didn’t do the same there is a good chance the animals were shot but not killed instantly which resulted in the riddling taking place. Hard enough to stop wild limousine’s but wild limousine’s with a couple of bullets lodged in its skull would be twice as hard to stop.
Michael Creed… what an embarrassingly stupid clown.
it seems the Agricultural dept make a total mess of this
They lost all their common sense
Minister as usual backs them up unconditionally they cannot make a mistake.
These Army boys have shown we’re in safe hands when the Islamic boys attack
Damed if you do and Damed if you don’t
Dirty cow murdering evil b’s'rds.
Do you have to be a marksman to shoot a cow?
I’d say a bovine and arrow would suffice at close range.
I’ve heard from someone involved in this case that there was indeed feral cattle mixed in with the herd in order to create problems for the handlers. It seems the farmer isn’t the poor man that he pretends to be. As for people thinking that cattle can’t be dangerous or wild, talk to any farmer. I know of several that had close calls with dangerous animals.
Every animal has the potential to be dangerous as every farmer would tell you. I have worked on a lot of farms when I was younger and all cattle get spooked by strangers of groups of people coming into their fields. There is no way these cattle should have been shot. One man with two cattle dogs would have rounded them up in half an hour.
Ah sure if you heard it from somebody, that’s good enough for me.
It’s hard to a Minister just lying to your face.
To hear
Bovine lives matter!
Its a d*mn good job we have an Army now that I think of it…
The cruelty to animals crowd must be all FG era
This is a warning to farmers to tow the political line or this will happen to you
Feckers!!!
I think now, looking back, we did not fight the enemy; we fought ourselves. And the enemy was in us. The war is over for me now, but it will always be there, the rest of my days as I’m sure Daisy will be, fighting for possession of my soul. There are times since, I’ve felt like the heifer born of those two bulls. But, be that as it may, those of us who did make it have an obligation to build again, to teach to others what we know, and to try with what’s left of our lives to find a goodness and a meaning to this life. Moo.
A PLATOON of cows Chewey?
Im very Mooooved by this story but I have no beef with the marksmen as they were only doin their job.But the minister is only a COWard for ordering this action!
They couldn’t use them for meat then as a lead bullet in the brain does not stop the heart beating and any brain matter entering the blood could get transported anywhere in the body then?
So it would be too risky for these animals to enter the food chain?
Hoofs up. Dont shoot!
Last resort my god there cows ..
A good man with horse and rope could have sorted this.
How did they have access to a public road. Was there a gate left open for them?
Oh and you might want to send those lads over to Pamplona as the poor peasants are being terrorised and chased down street on a regular basis by Ferral Cattle …
Rosie certainly has got the bull by the horns here .
Did anyone get a fillet steak , WHAT a waste of good meat.
The revolution is coming: https://youtu.be/FQMbXvn2RNI
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