A total of 78 livestock marts are currently approved to operate within the limited range of essential services that comply with Covid-19 restrictions, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has confirmed.
In a statement to AgriLand, a spokesperson for the department said:
“As of close of business [on Wednesday, April 22], the Department of Agriculture has approved 78 livestock marts to operate, on the basis of standard operating procedures (SOPs) submitted by the individual livestock marts, and sales are being successfully organised under these arrangements.”
Asked as to whether this would change on Tuesday, May 5, the representative said:
If, in the context of any changes to be made to the current set of restrictions in relation to Covid-19 after May 5, any additional flexibilities can be considered for mart activities.
“The Department of Agriculture’s priority in this regard is that marts continue to comply with HSE [Health Service Executive] guidelines on hygiene and physical distancing, and ensure marts operate safely for staff and clients,” the department spokesperson concluded.
Mart has licence to trade suspended
The comments come following the news earlier today that Ballymahon Mart has had its licence to trade suspended after being found to be in breach of Covid-19 restrictions in recent days.
“Gardaí attended Ballymahon Livestock Mark on Mostrim Road, Ballymahon, at approximately 12:30pm on Thursday, April 16, where individuals had gathered and were not adhering to social distancing,” a department spokesperson told AgriLand.
“On foot of this incident the mart was subsequently notified by the Department of Agriculture that its licence had been suspended.”