Brittany Ferries protest – Rosslare port
In March of this year Brittany Ferries, having made the decision to embroil itself in a cruel and controversial industry, carried livestock trucks for the first time on it’s Rosslare to Cherbourg route. We had already informed them of the issues around unweaned calves, how they cannot be fed during the 18 hour ferry journey and how they are dependent on milk and suffer appallingly during these journeys. Brittany Ferries didn’t care, so we held a protest at Rosslare port on 6th April to send them a message that this is not OK, and to highlight what they are doing to their customers. We saw six livestock trucks pass through the port and load onto the Brittany Ferries Cotentin, three of which contained bawling unweaned calves.
Three teams were gathered at Cherbourg port the following day to greet the trucks – CIWF France, L214 and Welfarm. The calves were very vocal, clearly desperately hungry. A news crew was there from French media Brut and the event got great publicity.
Freedom of information request – missing journey logs
Following the protests, we put in a freedom of information request for the journey logs that must accompany each truck. The journey log is the main control that DAFM has over this industry. There are five sections – the first section is the journey plan and this must be approved and stamped by a DAFM Veterinary Inspector (VI) at least two days before the journey takes place. The rest of the log is completed in ‘real time.’ Section 2 is completed at the premises where the calves are loaded for transport and is also stamped by a VI, section 3 is completed at the destination and should detail the number of animals that arrived fit, that died etc. Section 4 should be completed by the transporter during the journey and details all places of departure and arrival, rest stops, time of arrival and leaving etc. The final section is to detail any anomalies (we have never seen a journey log with this section filled in.)
When we got the response from the FOI unit of DAFM we were only provided with three of the journey logs. DAFM claimed that they do not have the journey logs for the other three because the trucks were not at Rosslare Port that day and did not travel to Cherbourg – transporters Shortall, Kilgore and Streamline. \we have footage of the trucks at Rosslare port, shared on social media! And two of the trucks are in a video aired on French news channel Brut – the Shortall and Streamline trucks are clearly visible so why is DAFM saying they weren’t there? This is supposed to be a highly regulated industry. Yet three trucks left the country and DAFM had no clue, apparently.
Highly regulated industry or utter shambles?
We appealed the decision, providing photos and links to video footage of the trucks to prove that they were there and eventually the journey logs were provided. The reason that DAFM wasn’t able to locate them, apparently, was due to either a change of truck or change of departure port.
- The Shortall truck, which contained adult cattle had a last minute change of truck and did not notify DAFM. They had also entered an incorrect loading date in section two, as well as showing an incorrect registration number.
- Kilgore, which also contained adult cattle, decided to change port. Section 1 of the journey log lists Dublin as the port for departure, but section 4 shows Rosslare port and there is a comment stating ‘change of ferry port due to ferry timetable mix up.’ When did the transporter decide to change port and why wasn’t DAFM notified of the change of plan?
- Of most concern is the Streamline truck that was carrying 320 unweaned calves. This transporter also appears to have had a last minute change of port. Section 1 of the journey log shows Dublin port but section 4 shows they truck departed from Rosslare. But what is really worrying is section 2 states the calves were loaded at 09:00 am on 5th April. The ferry didn’t leave until 6th. This section is stamped by DAFM and signed by a VI. The dates in section 4, written by hand, have all been altered. Did these animals load on 5th or on the 6th? Did the VI make a mistake and sign off on with the wrong date? Why have all the dates in section 4 been changed? Furthermore, transporters have to have a booking at one of the control posts in Cherbourg in order for the journey to be approved – as the date of travel changed did they even have a verified booking?
Despite the last minute changes these trucks should have reported to the DAFM office at the port and the paperwork should have been checked. Furthermore, where there are changes to the journey a new journey plan should be submitted for approval. Why was no updated journey log submitted for authorisation? Why is there no record of these trucks leaving Rosslare port? Every transporter going through Rosslare port must present their papers at the DAFM Border Control Post but this brings into question what checks are actually made at the port by DAFM, if any.
Serious policy breach
On top of all this the calves were lighter than the minimum permitted weight. Policy brought in by DAFM in 2021 does not allow calves under 40 kg to be exported, because our legislation goes above and beyond EU standards, supposedly. There were 320 calves in this truck with a consignment weight of 12,000 kg. That means each calf weighed an average of 37.5 kg. Why did the vet allow these calves to be loaded for export when they were below the minimum permitted weight?
It is the statutory duty of a VI to assess the journey logs and only stamp them if fully compliant. These checks are critical for animal welfare but it is clear they are not being conducted properly. Some of those calves will have weighed less than 37.5 kg and some will have weighed more. The lighter calves will have been at risk of trampling and injury, which is the reason this rule was brought in in the first place.
Journey logs are not being completed correctly and changes in planning are not being communicated to DAFM. The reality of this is the department has no idea what trucks are leaving the country, where they are going or what they are carrying.
Undue harm and suffering
It is well known at this stage that the transport of unweaned calves from Ireland to France is being conducted in breach of EC Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport, as they are not being fed within the 19 hour maximum limit. This has been confirmed in a report by the European Commission following an audit conducted in 2022. The Irish authorities have disputed this interpretation of the law and claim that there is no requirement to feed calves at all. DAFM’s response to the audit states “Our legal position is that there is nothing in the legislation that prescribes such a maximum feeding interval and that the legal obligation to feed only arises if feeding is necessary to avoid causing injury or undue suffering to the animals.”
Interestingly, there have since been four studies commissioned by Teagasc into the transport of unweaned calves and they all conclude that the calves were negatively impacted and suffered from dehydration, low energy, hypoglycaemia and muscle fatigue. One study showed that the calves had to be given THREE courses of antibiotics upon arrival at the veal farm, including doxycycline which is an anti microbial resistance concern. So even going on their rather bizarre interpretation of the law, it is clear that prolongued feed deprivation does in fact cause injury and undue suffering.
DAFM misleading European Commission
DAFM also claimed, during the audit with the Commission, that there are other mitigating circumstances that compensate for the lack of feeding during transport, including a small bit of extra space for the calves, a ban on the use of sticks in marts and assembly centres and the calves must be rested for 13 hours at the control post in Cherbourg instead of the 12 hours set out in EC legislation. DAFM also claimed during the audit, that calves must be a minimum of 40 kg for export. 
The previous Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, confirmed in two PQs in 2024 that calves must be a minimum of 40kg, and the standard operating procedures for DAFM staff working at assembly centres state ‘calves weighing less than 40kg are not permitted to travel.’
When this was brought to Minister Heydon in a further PQ his response was merely “My Department is satisfied that official controls performed for the transport of livestock referred to by the Deputy were in accordance with the above regulations.”
In order to prevent infringement proceedings from being initiated, DAFM is further trying to hoodwink the Commission by claiming there is ongoing research into ways to feed calves on board trucks, even giving the false impression that a truck with a feeding system will soon be in operation. There has been one trial with a truck, in October 2023, and it failed miserably.
We are repeatedley told this is a highly regulated industry, that Ireland goes above and beyond EU legilsation. But this is just fantasy. The reality is the Irish authorites are lying to the Commission and they are lying to us.
EFI has submitted a complaint to Minister Heydon and to Chief Veterinary Officer Dr June Fanning but has not recevied a response from either party.
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2024-01-17/1179/
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2024-02-22/75/
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2025-10-21/671/
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