The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine is launching an investigation after serious animal welfare abuses were uncovered by RTE Investigates.
Footage has been obtained of calves being thrown from a trailer by a mart worker, calves being hit with sticks and young calves being kicked. The incidents have been linked to Ireland’s dairy boom and the surge of more than half a million unwanted bull calves born every year.
The programme also goes undercover to investigate the live export of hundreds of calves to mainland Europe.
As a result of the findings, RTE reports that the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) has requested the video footage gathered and confirmed it is launching an investigation.
‘Milking It: Dairy’s Dirty Secret’ follows journalist Fran McNulty as he delves into the underside of Ireland’s dairy industry where the success of a multi-billion euro industry often comes at the expense of animal welfare.
The programme will be broadcast on RTÉ One television on Monday at 9.35pm.
