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ALL MINKS IN Ireland will be culled over the coming weeks as a precautionary measure amid concerns about a coronavirus variant discovered in Danish mink farms.
It is understood that Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan wrote to Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue recommending such a move.
Mink owners will be compensated in the short-term, but they will not be able to replace the animals, it is understood. The owners will receive a wider compensation package in the future.
Earlier this month, the government said anyone arriving from Denmark to Ireland will be asked to restrict their movements for two weeks.
There are currently three Irish mink farms, and the Department of Agriculture confirmed that no mink have been imported in 2020.
The Department of Agriculture said today that testing of the mink herd in Ireland has detected no positive results of Covid-19 to date.
It added that mink farmers continue to operate in full compliance with all legislative and animal welfare requirements and have co-operated fully with these efforts.
According to the Department of Health, the HSE was planning to carry out serial testing of all mink farm workers as well as their household contacts.
As the world’s largest producer of mink fur, Denmark has 1,080 mink farms, with Covid-19 being detected on 207 of them.
According to the World Health Organisation, on 5 November, health authorities in Denmark reported 12 cases of Covid-19 that were caused by a mink-associated strain of the novel coronavirus.
Eight of these cases had links to mink farms, while the remaining four were from the local community.
Denmark ordered a cull of all minks on 4 November over fears that the mutated virus could threatened the effectiveness of any future human vaccine.
On Wednesday, Denmark’s agriculture minister Mogens Jensen resigned following criticism of his handling of the mink cull ordered in the country.
He had admitted last week that the government’s order to cull all of Denmark’s 15 to 17 million minks had no legal basis.
With reporting by Christina Finn, Michelle Hennessy and AFP.
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Am I going mad or did I see another story on here a few hours ago saying prices and rents are going up? Make up your mind lads..
They must have hired Pearse Doherty as a journalist.
Depends whether you ask a vested interest or not…..
@Bill I wouldn’t say you’re going mad, but they’re two different things – a fall in house prices (this story) and longer-term rent rises and affordability problems (last story: http://www.thejournal.ie/economy-to-grow-in-2015-2010196-Mar2015/). Also, different economists have different views – and we try to report a range of them.
How many cash buyers?
The answer to that question might indicate who benefits from this government.
Paul, Cash Buyers have many more benefits than just what the govt gives them
On Clare Byrne Live on Monday night, a young couple who were looking to buy a house were interviewed. They clearly stated that they were constantly looking at Daft and could not even afford to buy an average terraced house as there was nothing on the market in Dublin 24 for less than €350 000. When they said this I immediately went to the Daft site and I found plenty of terraced, semi detached and bungalows all an awful lot cheaper than the price they quoted. There was one 4 bed 3 bathroom end of terrace house on the market for €370 000 (I know twenty grand over) BUT it has been on the market for a while and they seller has dropped the price by 15 000!!
http://www.daft.ie/dublin-city/houses-for-sale/dublin-24/?s%5Bpt_id%5D=1
Once again the government is spinning. It suits the government to say that property prices are on the up so they can scare young couples into buying now to bring in more property tax to service our debt.
Sorry, who do you say is spinning? The cso say that prices are down, and so do Daft.ie. Is claire byrne spinning?
I’m not sure if 1 couple interviewed represents a scientific sample, but it seems like the CSO (a state body), and daft (a private company) would have access to more information.
I’m not sure how the government could “spin” house prices. Don’t the prices have to be registered, and taxes paid? How would they control daft.ie?
Alan Kelly was more than happy to spin for this government on that show, or did you miss him. Did you also miss the article in the Sunday Indo about e-mails sent from his department to the Dept of Finance stating clearly, that they had lied about the amount of land they have on their books for building the 46000 new homes they are promising to build??? You obviously did, so here is the link to the article that confirms that Kelly is a bare faced liar.
I thought the same when I heard that on Monday. You’ll find when some people say they are looking for a property in say d24 they are actually looking for a property in a very select region(s) of d24 probably green hills or knocklyon, the same region(s) as a lot of other people who are looking in that area. The moment you start limiting your choice of area you are committing yourself to paying more. Anyone with 350k to spend and an open mind should have no problem finding a home in a nice area within the m50 or just outside it.
Good to see the jump in prices over the last year or so has levelled off. High house prices are not good for the economy.
No demand for them from regular punters, anyone in negative equity is staying put, cash speculators took the spoils at auctions ,estate agents tried to reignite the market and have failed , 15 houses on an 84 unit estate only 10 minutes walk from me remain unsold for the last 5 years , at the height of the ” boom ” 285 grand , now 80 grand builders finish , 2 @ 60 grand un plastered inside .
I would love to know where that is!!
This is a photo of a street in Cobh Co Cork
Should that not state houses are crumbling all over the country, prices remain stable.
This is the reason my rent went up €150 per month so thanks for that.
This has been caused by the Central Bank’s knee-jerk reaction in introducing completely unworkable regulations. 20% deposit means that to buy in Dublin requires first time buyers to save around 70-80K just for a deposit. Those of us in negative equity need even more than that. I am convinced their is nothing but fecking air in the heads of these regulators.
You have a house Jake. Why do you want another one?
If you’re lucky enough to be on a tracker mortgage, you’re paying a lot less than you planned when you took the mortgage out.
Rents are going up, so maybe your mortgage on your house is less than the rent would be?
Jake, a deposit off 70-80k would mean for a €500,000 house! I don’t know many first time buyers that would even be looking at them prices nowadays!
A new housing estate near Coolock and Darndale on the market for €520k
http://www.myhome.ie/residential/brochure/castlemoyne-balgriffin-dublin-13/2850992
For those lucky enough to have the money without getting a mortgage it is a good time to buy (outside Dublin). Then flip it when prices are higher in a few years.
Good man John!
That attitude is part of the problem. Looking for a quick buck and crying when money is lost. Property speculation should be taxed at 100% Then that money might god forbid be put to productive use maybe create a job or two.
Worked out really well last time
January and February are always slow months, post xmas. See whay happens in June and July onwards. Price increases of 15% plus in Dublin at least.
The way to promote house construction is to reduce the costs of construction through lower levies and taxes, a ridiculous portion of the cost of every new home goes in one for or another to the government (between local/central) also developers need to get it into their head that the crazy profits of the past are gone and they need to bring their expectation more into line with this new environment. If they cannot then go do something else and make room for someone who can.
Prices fallling where maybe in sticks or some absolute kip in Dublin. Good houses in respectable areas are same or deerer.
Agh…I am looking to buy in the next few months…look like I am going to do so at the VERY top of the market. Thanks karma.
Pay what you can afford and forget about the market. It’s a home not an investment. In 20-25 years it’ll be yours and the price you paid will be irrelevant.
Love the heading in the Indo “Lending limits blamed as property prices fall again”. Love the word BLAMED. If I was to use the headline it would be. “Lending limits help temper the rise in property prices”. Don’t know what Charlie Weston’s agenda is.
So politicians are telling lies, a storm is coming and are we ready to weather it? Have we any stored punts in warehouses…?
CSO data is based on mortgage draw-downs only (excluding foreign investors and cash buyers). The CB regulations just came in making it more difficult to get an extensive mortgage, so how is this a surprise to anyone?
The only real data comes from the Property Price Register – which lags behind about 2 months.
have your say