A man needed to be airlifted to hospital following a serious bull attack at Mohill Livestock Mart, Co. Leitrim, yesterday.

Aurivo Co-operative Society – which operates the mart – confirmed the regrettable accident involving a customer and livestock which occurred on site yesterday morning.

In a statement an Aurivo spokesperson said: “The gentleman concerned was airlifted from the site by the emergency services to Sligo University Hospital and his condition is being monitored.

“Management and staff at Aurivo will offer their full support to the gentleman and his family, and will be co-operating with the relevant authorities as an investigation is conducted into the accident,” the statement said.

‘Spiralling mart insurance costs’

Last month, the “spiralling cost” of insurance for marts was the key measure sought by a delegation from the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) National Marts, which met with Minister of State Michael D’Arcy.

Michael Spellman, chairman of the ICOS National Marts Committee met, Minister D’Arcy with a delegation including: Brendan Egan, general manager of Castlerea Mart; Ray Doyle, ICOS National Marts executive; and Michael Fitzmaurice, independent TD for Roscommon-Galway.

Michael D’Arcy is Minister of State at the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform with special responsibility for financial services and insurance.

“The cost of insurance for marts has more than doubled in the past 18 months; but there hasn’t been any parallel increase in incidents or claims from the marts,” said Spellman.

The marts have become an unwitting victim of ‘risk profiling’ by the insurance industry – which is seeking to minimise its exposure and spread costs across multiple sectors.

“Reducing risk is of course in everyone’s interests – one accident or injury is one too many – but, we don’t see any legitimate basis for the scale of costs now being heaped onto the marts sector,” he added.

The delegation shared with the minister specific details of marts where insurance costs have increased inordinately – despite the implementation of risk reduction measures.

“This is now having a specifically damaging effect on smaller marts that simply cannot afford any increase in operating costs to the extent that is being levied,” said Spellman.

We need the Government to protect the marts sector and SMEs in general from the unsustainable costs that are being demanded.