Cork Co-Operatives Marts has been fined €4,250 after it pleaded guilty to breaches of animal welfare regulations which first came to light after an RTÉ Investigates programme.
Cork Co-Operative Marts, trading as Bandon Mart, has been in operation since 1956 and was without previous convictions. The company pleaded guilty to three offences under European animal welfare regulations, which took place on February 13th and April 17th, 2023.
Bandon District Court heard the breaches included what Judge Joanne Carroll called a “completely unacceptable” incident at Bandon Mart, in which a customer dragged a young calf across the road, while lifting its head and tail.
The company pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the welfare of a calf under European legislation, which prohibits the lifting of an animal or the dragging of it by its head, ears, horn, legs or tail. It also pleaded guilty to breaches of legislation relating to the loading and unloading facilities, and to failing to comply with rules on using a stick when animals are being loaded or unloaded.
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The court heard the Department of Agriculture launched an investigation into breaches of animal welfare regulations at several marts throughout the country on foot of the July 2023 RTÉ Investigates programme.
Imogen McGuinness, senior investigator with the department , said following the airing of the programme they met with management at Cork Marts by agreement. The company fully co-operated with the investigation. It put additional training in place and disciplined those not in compliance with regulations. The company also wrote to its customers giving a commitment to maintain the highest standards of animal welfare.
The department is satisfied that Bandon Mart is being run properly following the breaches which occurred on site in Bandon, and the mart is now in full compliance with all EU regulations relating to animal welfare.
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Donnchadh McCarthy, representing Cork Marts, said that management at the company readily agreed that the dragging of the calf by the customer of the mart was “deplorable”.
“They are in business since 1956 and have never been subject to a prosecution before. They are embarrassed to find themselves here. They took the matter very seriously. Staff were disciplined and new training was organised at a high cost,” he said.
Judge Carroll said she had seen the photograph of a “young man dragging a calf by the head and tail” at the mart. She described the action as “completely unacceptable”.
Taking the early guilty plea into account and the remedial actions taken since, she fined the company €2,000 for its failureto prevent the dragging of an animal, €750 for deficiencies in its loading and unloading facility and €1,500 for the charge relating to the striking of the calf.
The company agreed to pay the €3,500 legal costs of the department.
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