The removal of animals from the farm of John Hanrahan outside Carrick-on-Suir in Co Tipperary was last night called off for the weekend. Department of Agriculture personnel withdrew after they said they were being refused access to cows on the farm.
Mr Hanrahan and the Department of Agriculture staff had been in negotiations throughout yesterday afternoon about the continuing removal of the animals on welfare grounds and an agreement appeared to have been brokered at around 6pm.
The deal involved Mr Hanrahan being given seven days to lodge an appeal against the department's decision to remove cows, heifers and calves from the 250-acre farm at Ballycurkeen three miles from Carrick-on-Suir.
However, the agreement collapsed following a dispute over when the seven-day period for the appeal should start, with the department officials seeking to have the period start today but Mr Hanrahan seeking a deferral until after the bank holiday weekend.
Mr Hanrahan said that he was seeking the deferral of the seven- day period until Tuesday to allow him to consult with his solicitor, who would not be available to him over the weekend.
However, following the collapse of negotiations, the officials informed Mr Hanrahan that they were proceeding with the removal of some of the remaining animals on the farm, only to find their way blocked by a tractor.
Department officials then told Mr Hanrahan that they were being refused access to the animals and that they were formally withdrawing from the farm. About nine officials then left the farm.
According to Mr Hanrahan, department officials had removed a total of 355 animals up to lunch hour yesterday and they later removed a further 36 calves, leaving approximately 120 milking cows still on the farm.
The removal of the animals began on Wednesday after officials became concerned about the welfare of the animals because of a shortage of feed stuffs on the farm where Mr Hanrahan has over 500 animals.
Yesterday, Mr Hanrahan said that he wanted his son Ambrose to be given access to inspect the animals removed from his farm. They are being kept at a farm near Waterford city where they have been brought by department officials.
Earlier, Mr Hanrahan's solicitor, Paul Derham, had written to the department seeking a copy of either a court order or other authority upon which officials were removing the animals.