Code Of Practice For The Welfare Of Pigs Is Launched

A new booklet produced by the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council (FAWAC) on a Code of Practice for the Welfare of Pigs has been launched.

The booklet aims to encourage all pig farmers to maintain the highest standards of animal husbandry and continue to practice responsible management on farms.

Commenting on the importance of good welfare practices, Junior Agriculture Minister and Clare T.D., Tony Killeen said: “If farmers follow this Code of Practice, it will help them to meet the necessary welfare standards. Without competent, diligent stockmanship, the welfare of pigs cannot be catered for adequately.”

He added: “The booklet provides advice on maintaining good bio-security and animal health status within the herd and on ensuring appropriate welfare by having proper procedures in place for dealing with sick or injured animals. Advice on herd management and on the requirement for pigs to have access to suitable material to enable proper investigation and manipulation activities is addressed.”

Meanwhile, Minister of State Killeen confirmed that the Department will shortly announce details of the new Sow Housing Scheme, being implemented shortly as part of the revised Rural Development Programme, which will provide 13 million euro to producers to assist in conversion to loose housing for sows.

The booklet is available on the FAWAC website at www.fawac.ie or from the FAWAC Secretariat - email FAWAC@agriculture.gov.ie.

Carers Gather For National Respite Weekend And Conference

Caring for Carers Ireland 19th Annual Respite Weekend and Conference will take place on Friday 26th to Sunday 28th February 2010 in the Radisson Blu Hotel Galway.

Over 500 family carers drawn from Ennis-based Caring for Carers Ireland’s network of 101 Carers Groups throughout Ireland will attend the conference, entitled ‘Sustaining Long Term Carers: A Fair Deal for Family Carers?’.

Representatives of Health and Social Care Providers, Policy Makers and Decision Takers are also scheduled to attend. Organisers say the issues for discussion will contribute to the national debate on the future of care provision in the community and strategies necessary to support care in challenging times.

Speakers scheduled to address the Conference include Minister Áine Brady TD, Department of Health and Children; Paschal Moynahan, Director Services for Older People, HSE West; Marian Harkin MEP; Minister Eamon O’Cuív; Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs; Prof. Joyce O’Connor, Patron, Caring for Carers Ireland, Chair of the Digital Hub and Dublin Inner City Partnership, and former President of the National College of Ireland; and Brigid Barron, Innovation and Programme Manager, Caring for Carers Ireland.

Caring For Carers Ireland Chairperson Eilish Smith said: "This coming weekend is about taking time out and letting others care for you for at least two days. The primary objective of the conference is to set out the vision of Caring for Carers Ireland in relation to future policy. The debate will further a deeper understanding of and commitment to the development of an integrated and co-ordinated community care service. It will also acknowledge the Family Carer as a key partner in care provision, in particular long term care in the community”.

“The issues for discussion at this conference will contribute to the national debate on the future of caring in the community and strategy to support a fair and equitable system for Family Carers in challenging times”, Ms. Smith added.

Mary McMahon, CEO of Caring For Carers Ireland added that Long Term Family Care Giving will be given special recognition at the Conference in Galway. She continued: “A special award will be presented to an outstanding family caregiver representing all caregivers, by Minister Aíne Brady. We warmly welcome the Government’s commitment, set out in the renewed programme for Government in October 2009, that it will continue to recognise and support the role of Family Carers who provide a vital service, not only for their own loved ones but for our community as a whole. Family Carers remain the backbone of community care in our changing society”.

Commenting on the work of Caring for Carers Ireland, Ms. McMahon stated: “The role of the organisation in providing a National Training Programme for Carers has been supported through Pobal by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Minister Eamon O’Cuív recognises the achievement of the Organisation who have completed training for 1084 Family Carers to date. There are over 161,000 Carers in Ireland who collectively contribute EUR2.5 billion to the national economy each year. Family Carers are dedicated people at all levels of society who care in the home for older people, people of all ages with disabilities and those with long term illness. Their role may involve a 24-hour-day seven-day-week commitment without respite and often lacking sustainable help or support.”

“Potentially, we may all be required to provide care for a family member at some stage in our lives. Yet, ultimately, we will all need care”, she concluded.

For more on the Caring for Carers Ireland 19th Annual Respite Weekend and Conference see www.caringforcarers.org.

Funding For Cattle And Sheep Breeding Initiatives

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Tony Killeen, T.D., has welcomed the allocation 1.5 million euro under the National Development Plan to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) for a range of beef, dairy and sheep breed improvement projects.

The Clare T.D. said that the Department has been providing funding to the ICBF for developing the cattle breeding infrastructure since its establishment and is very satisfied with the progress the organisation has made which has added significant value to Ireland’s heavily export-oriented Beef and Dairy sectors. He continued: “ICBF have clearly demonstrated that better breeding can add significant value to farm profit. Their programme is designed to improve the genetic quality and therefore to enhance the profitability of livestock production across beef, dairying and sheep and ultimately to improve the competitiveness of Irish agriculture benefiting all farmers”.

Commenting on the latest funding announcement, Minister of State Killeen stated: “On the cattle side, the funding will be focused on supporting the continued development of the beef and dairy data collection and information distribution systems, reviewing and enhancing dairy and beef genetic evaluation systems, and supporting a best practice cattle breeding campaign. Funding will also be provided towards the cost of the Gene Ireland progeny test programmes.”

He added: “The sheep programme will build on work commenced in 2009 to help move sheep breeding in Ireland to a new level of efficiency and effectiveness by developing world-class genetic evaluation systems, and data collection facilities. International expertise has been sought to establish structures that will help sustain a viable sheep production sector through the identification of genetically superior breeding stock. The new sheep breeding programme being developed by ICBF will be a unique combination of the best science available, along with traditional production methods which will help improve sheep farmer profitability.”

Funding will be provided to allow ICBF make further progress in developing Genomics Technologies, which Ireland has taken a lead role in developing. The rapid evolution of this new Science has improved the International image and quality of Irish cattle breeding, and justified Department funding over many years in developing the knowledge and skills base of ICBF.