Seventeen cattle stolen from Westmeath in just one year

Seventeen cattle have been stolen from farms in Westmeath over the course of the past year.

Figures released in Dáil Éireann show that Westmeath is one of the counties worst affected by bovine thefts –but it’s faring far better than some counties, such as Monaghan, in which 48 animals were stolen; Mayo, which had 34 stolen, Limerick, which had 38, Meath which had 33, and Laois, which had 31.

The only counties in which no cattle thefts were reported in 2013 were Carlow, Dublin, Kilkenny, Longford, Offaly, Wexford and Wicklow.

The figures were given by Deputy Simon Coveney, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, to Deputy Caoimhgin Ó Caoláin, who asked if the minister would consider introducing a compensation scheme for farmers who have had livestock stolen from their herds.

Minister Coveney said that his department has no plan to introduce a compensation scheme.

However, he advised that all such thefts be reported to the gardaí, and pointed out that once an animal is reported as having been stolen, they are marked on the department’s Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) database as stolen.

“If these animals are presented anywhere in the State for sale, slaughter or export they are checked against the database and will be rejected at these outlets and an investigation initiated,” he said, pointing out that stolen cattle cannot be traded legally in the State as all bovines must bear official ear tags, be properly registered and be located on AIM database in the herd of the individual moving or selling the animal.