A DAFM enforcement operation on a Co. Roscommon farm has raised animal welfare concerns.
The farm is the location of an ongoing animal welfare court case, and it has been reported that approximately 500 cattle were found dead on this farm between 2023 and 2025 before this latest enforcement action took place.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine /DAFM has confirmed it carried out an enforcement operation on Thursday (July 9) with support and assistance from An Garda Síochána.
A DAFM spokesperson said it has lead policy responsibility for animal welfare and it takes the matter of animal welfare most seriously.
An official statement regarding the outcome of the enforcement operation has not been issued by DAFM.
It has also being reported that a second DAFM operation was also conducted on a Co. Clare farm at the same time as the Roscommon operation.
DAFM Enforcement Operation
Online footage has emerged of the DAFM operation at the Co. Roscommon farm.
The footage appears to show cattle being euthanised under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture, while other cattle remain confined nearby in a handling area. It also appears to show the bodies of euthanised animals being lifted and transported in close proximity to live cattle awaiting handling/euthanasia.
Reaction to the video has come from farming organisations, an Independent TD, and an animal welfare organisation.
Irish Farming Association/IFA
The Irish Farming Association (IFA) has called for meeting with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to discuss animal welfare and traceability protocols.
IFA’s animal health chair David Hall said the organisation wants to meet with Dr June Fanning, DAFM’s chief veterinary officer about DAFM protocols to deal with alleged welfare and animal traceability breaches on farms.
Mattie McGrath/Independent TD
Mattie McGrath, Independent TD, Tipperary South, issued a statement on the Roscommon farm incident in which he said that DAFM officials must be “held accountable” to the same standards as farmers when it comes to animal welfare.
Deputy McGrath said the footage has shocked rural communities and has raised serious questions about the conduct of Department of Agriculture officials.
Mr McGrath said, “my concern here is with the conduct of the Department officials, their agents, private contractors, or whoever was involved in this incident—conduct that appears to have violently contradicted the very standards and legal obligations they are bound to uphold.
“The wider public has now witnessed actions that cannot be reconciled with the strict requirements of EU and Irish law governing welfare interventions, which demands humane, controlled and professionally supervised conduct at all times.”
Deputy McGrath said the Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon, must now confront this contradiction directly.
“The Minister and the Department cannot retreat behind assurances that it takes the matter of animal welfare seriously when there is footage of what genuinely appears to be an egregious violation of the most basic standards.
“There cannot be a one rule for the Department officials and another for the farmer. We must all be held accountable to the same standard of animal welfare Departmental officials do not get a free pass. Any collapse in professionalism and oversight in instances such as these cannot be brushed aside or hidden behind internal reviews. We need a full and public account of what happened, why it happened, and how such conduct was permitted.”
Deputy McGrath finished his statement by saying, “rural Ireland will not accept excuses, and it will not accept a Department that preaches welfare while turning a blind eye to behaviour that appears to violate the very standards it is legally bound to uphold.”
My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue/MLHAR
The animal rescue charity, My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue/MLHAR has called for an independent investigation of the conduct of the enforcement operation. In a social media post the organisation said the footage has shocked the public and raises serious questions about whether every possible step was taken to minimise fear, distress and suffering throughout the operation.
“Regardless of the circumstances that led to this intervention, every animal deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion and respect. Animal welfare must remain at the centre of every decision made before, during and after any enforcement action.
“Irish law requires that animals are killed in a manner that inflicts as little suffering as possible in the circumstances and that avoidable pain, fear and distress are minimised. The footage now circulating raises legitimate questions about how those welfare obligations were applied during this operation. Whether the procedures complied with all applicable legal and veterinary standards is a matter that should now be independently examined.”
According to the MLHAR, the public is entitled to ask difficult but necessary questions; If hundreds of animals had already died over a prolonged period, could stronger intervention have taken place sooner? Could more animals have been saved? Why restrictions were considered sufficient where such extensive welfare concerns had already been reported?
Animal Welfare Actions
My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue/MLHAR has called for a number of actions in relation to the enforcement operation. They are:
An independent investigation into the Roscommon and Clare enforcement operations.
The publication of the Department’s operational protocols governing the euthanasia of animals during enforcement actions.
Full transparency regarding the veterinary supervision, decision, making and welfare procedures followed during these operations.
An independent review of whether animals should ever witness the euthanasia or removal of other animals during official enforcement actions where this can reasonably be avoided.
A review of whether earlier intervention could have prevented the prolonged suffering reported on this holding.
Publication of the findings of any investigation so that public confidence in Ireland’s animal welfare system can be restored.
MLHAR have called upon its members, supporters and those concerned about animal welfare issues to lobby their elected representatives and ask them to support an independent review of these animal welfare enforcement operations, greater transparency from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine/DAFM, and stronger protections for animals caught up in welfare enforcement actions.
How to Report Farm Animal Cruelty
Farm animals, including horses.
Department of Agriculture, Food, and Marine/DAFM-Animal Welfare Division
T: 01 607 2379
E: animalwelfare@agriculture.gov.ie
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If you have a tip for an animal welfare issue, an animal news article, a press release, or just want to just reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you. John Tierney, Animal News Ireland/Editor
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