Questions over whether the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) could provide financial assistance for livestock marts to re-open were recently raised in the Dáil.
The issue was raised in relation to the re-opening of Mountrath livestock mart in Co. Laois, which has been closed for the last five years.
Last week in the Dáil (Thursday, February 22), deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue if his department can provide grant aid or any other assistance to Mountrath livestock mart to-reopen for business.
Minister McConalogue replied to the Laois–Offaly TD to inform him of the work the DAFM can undertake to support livestock marts, and of the other roles the department can, and cannot undertake.
“While periodically, DAFM provides grant aid for marts to promote strategic departmental objectives, such as high standards of animal health, disease prevention or enhanced traceability, it is not the role of the department to provide funding for the re-opening of marts,” Minister McConalogue explained.
“There is no funding available from my department to livestock marts to re-open for business,” he added.
Minister McConalogue acknowledged that the operation of a livestock market is a private business which, from an animal health and welfare perspective, is subject to regulation by the DAFM.
“Each year, nearly three million cattle and sheep are sold through livestock marts, and I acknowledge the important role that marts play in maintaining viable sales outlets for livestock,” he said.
The minister did address the supports the DAFM can provide to the overall livestock mart sector, which include the support of marts in modernising their facilities to adapt to new technologies introduced to enhance the traceability of animals through mart facilities.
“Funding was most recently available in 2023 for marts to upgrade their equipment following the introduction of mandatory electronic identification (EID) of cattle,” Minister McConalogue confirmed.