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LOCAL AUTHORITIES HAVE been hiring ‘private farm inspectors’ to help tackle pollution in at-risk areas.
Funding was announced earlier this year to resource work targeted at water quality pressures, as described by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Some councils have started hiring and are targeting areas, with Laois County Council the latest to tender for the role.
Some areas likely to be targeted include those flagged by the EPA in recent reports as part of plans to increase the rate of inspection of farms from 5% to 10% each year.
Last month, the agency highlighted how farming was playing a significant role in the declining water quality in some regions, due to nitrogen emissions from agricultural activities.
A spokesperson for Laois County Council said the local authority has tendered to “form a panel of suitably qualified consultants to carry out farm inspections if needed”.
The consultants will only be carrying out the farm inspections and reporting back to the environment office of the council.
As they are outsourced contractors they will have no role in any enforcement actions, with Laois County Council remaining responsible for all such actions.
The spokesman added that if enforcement is taken, measures can range from verbal instruction to being served written notice under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act to carry out works to control pollution.
In some cases, individuals may also be reported to the Department of Agriculture.
According to Donegal County Council, inspections there will focus primarily on farmyards and will concern slurry storage, silage pits, manure pits and minimisation of soiled water.
“The council will draw up a weekly programme of inspections in a small number of ‘at risk’ catchments and these will be completed by the contract staff using a pre-set inspection template and recorded in electronic format,” it said in its tender for the roles.
“Farms to be inspected will include the full range of farm types, including, dairy, sheep and mixed farms.”
Addressing the matter in the Dáil in March, Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said his department was working with local authorities and the EPA to develop a “strengthened risk-based local authority-led National Agricultural Inspection Programme”.
In the meantime, he said “enhanced interim measures” would be introduced in the form of funding for private farm inspectors.
The new programme will be detailed in the third iteration of the River Basin Management Plan which will be published in the coming weeks.
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All violent prisoners should be on Spike Island…..
With a snipers in a watch tower on each corner..
Food and new prisoners dropped off every week.
Let them kill each other for all I care…….
Every government since I joined this Job has fobbed the Prison Officers with the cheapest crap they could buy. Instead of buying quality equipment that would last for years the mantra has always been get the cheapest you can and if its poor quality it is not an issue.
And I am sure the members of the Gardai will echo what I have said for their equipment.
They would rather spend ten of millions giving Junkies Disability Allowances and everything that goes with it than spend 1 or 2 million of equipment that would over time save millions.
The latest thing with us is instead of buying new good quality stab vests for each Officer they want us to take ancient Control and Restraint breastplates that have been laying in storage for 15+ years being pissed on by rats and mice that were deigned unfit for purpose when they were put away all that time ago and use them as “Stab Vests” when they offer no cover to the sides or lower abdomen or lower back.
They wont issue each Officer with their own extendible baton because they are afraid an Officer may just actually use it to defend themselves or someone else. And wont even discuss the idea of Pepper Spray which would be much less harmful in terms of injury to a prisoner than a baton would.
Lions led by Donkeys is an apt description of the Prison Officers and the Civil Servants running IPS.
Pepper spray is a no brainer. No lasting effects and drops d gouger like a rock. And shud be cheap 2 provide. Cannot understand d mentality. Do gooders have literally ruined this country and put prison officers in harm’s way just 2 be pc. Dumb!
Honest to god is this government for real ? Leave the prison officers alone. If I’m correct there basically looking to implement 9 – 7 shifts instead of 8 – 8 ? Increasing the working year by 25 days per officer at no extra cost & no need to recruit new staff. So absolutely no family life for the officers. When was the last time a jail went up in a riot type situation ??? A long time ago, officers do a unbelievable job under extreme circumstances. As usual this government attacks the average worker on the ground level.
Pepperspray does not always work. Tasers would be good option.
But really it should be a rule if you attack a prison officer you go to the underground level never to see natural light and kept in small cell 23 hours a day. Even when out of the cell it’s just in hallway till sentence ends.
Would that work mick?
Not sure if ur being sarcastic or not Charles. I’m a bit slow like that. I see d simple picture. Black and white. Prison officers r d good guys and prisoners r d bad guys. So yeah ur idea has some merit. Better than d current system.
Charles. Tazers are pie in the sky stuff. Even with the Gardai they are only issued to the ERU if I am not mistaken. On the whole Level 4 strength pepper spray and a baton as back up would be more than adequate for our current needs.
In fairness the Luas does run to Tallaght.
Many from tallaght also stay in the joy.
I’m sure there are many mothers and fathers living in tallaght who are trying to teach their children right and wrong and bring them up to be decent.
And not make stuck up snobby jibes on the Internet.
State always take cheap option. The luas guards have better stab vests then the guards
Anyone who has a stab proof vest has a better one than we in the prisons do.
Why ???
Because we don’t have ANY !!!
The 1st priority 4 govt and management shud be equipping d prison officers adequately and ensuring their safety. Only when that is fully implemented shud prisoners”rights” be taken into consideration.
The head of IPS and the Minister are from a welfare background and are only interested in positive press and have a view that any prisoner in jail is a victim and should be treated as one and not as violent criminal.
The stabbing of 2 officers last week ,was a inconvenience for them and lip service has been payed to stab vests and pepper spray.
The minister went into the lower house yesterday and tried to turn the incompetency of IPS back on officers. Shame on you minister and your mangers
Prison is a controlled environment. Do the job right and no prisoner will have a weapon.
Says someone that has most likely never set foot in a Prison let alone dealt with a violent prisoner.
Just yesterday one officer had to go to hospital after being struck in the face with a brush handle. Just because you don’t have the imagination to make weapons out of the most mundane everyday things they do. Take a tooth brush to you and most people that is all it is. To a prisoner and a Prison Officer it is a potential weapon. Shape one end to a point it becomes a stabbing weapon, Melt the bristles and insert the blades from a disposable Razor and you have a slashing weapon. A bar of soap in a sock and you have a clubbing weapon. A length of wire and two pens and you have a garrotte.
So when you actually know what you are talking about then maybe just maybe you can make statements like the one above.
I was wondering why all the prisoners like getting boots hampers for Christmas.
Luas security officers are Stazi-like. They’re checking train tickets but act like East German assassins!
It’s a no brainer,prison officers should be extremely highly trained and properly equiped and get whatever support they need at all times,the same goes for the gardai.You can be sure ministers do
In one prison I knew, the prisoners had better stab vests than the screws.
I know … my ex fella was banged up for 6 months for GBH in the prison
Oh dear.
… but it was the best thing that could happen, I met another fella, when he was inside
What!!!
You couldn’t wait 6 months?
Sounds like he’s better off without you so!
Must have been a UK prison because Irish Prison Officers don’t have stab vests.
Glen, I couldn’t go a week without it, never mind 6 months!
Mick,
yes, it was in England
Well prison officers are free to leave and apply for a job on luas security. I’m positive every luas security guard would happily swap jobs with them. Why do people with the best jobs in this country just shut up and appreciate what they have for once. If you don’t like your job you are free to leave.
thats a load of C**P John , So its ok to accept bad working conditions ??No matter where a person works they are entitled to work in a safe environment , as safe as it possibly can be . So your solution to all people who are employed and being treated unfairly is to leave their job ?? Get real would you , Prison Officers are doing a job have mortgages and bills the same as everyone else they are not “free” to leave their employment as you put it BUT they are entitled to feel somewhat protected in a dangerous workplace ,THATS ALL THEY ARE ASKING
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