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BreakingNews.ie
18-07-2025
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Bank of Ireland apologises after oil spill at Dublin park
Bank of Ireland has apologised after a 'really heavy' oil spill at a park in south Dublin. A family of swans were removed from the park by an animal charity which described the oil pollution incident as one of the worst it has attended. Advertisement Kildare Wildlife Rescue (KWR) said it removed four cygnets and two adult swans from Kilbogget Park near Cabinteely in south Dublin on Wednesday. KWR's rescue co-ordinator Pearse Stokes said the charity had attended a 'really heavy' oil spill at what he described as a 'jewel in the crown' for south Dublin biodiversity. 'I have been a wildlife first responder for 12 years and it is the worst fumes I have encountered on an oil spill, and we get a lot of them, but this was really heavy,' Mr Stokes said. Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said booms and pads have been installed to absorb the pollution. Advertisement 'Swans were removed with the help of local (council) staff, Kildare Wildlife Rescue and volunteers and are currently in the care of Kildare Wildlife Rescue,' it added. It said council staff would visit the park over the weekend to monitor the situation and encouraged people walking their dogs in the park to keep them on leads. A spokesman for Bank of Ireland said: 'We have been engaged with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (DLRCOCO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in relation to a spillage at one of our sites in Cabinteely. 'Action was immediately taken to contain the incident, and no further pollution has been identified. Advertisement 'We would like to sincerely apologise to the local community for the impact caused. We will continue to engage fully with DLRCOCO and the EPA over the coming period.' Local councillor Dave O'Keeffe said the clean-up is estimated to cost tens of thousands of euros and the council should not foot the bill. 'An apology is fine but this is going to cost tens of thousands, if not more, to rectify,' he told PA. 'There is environmental damage done, there has already been a lot of money spent on the actual clean up. Advertisement 'Kilbogget was turning into a great place for biodiversity. We had wild otters there, which is really rare, there was a lot of diversity of species and that's all been put in jeopardy now. 'There's a financial cost to this, but there's an awful lot more that needs to be done to make sure it gets back to there in the long term. 'I don't expect the council or the local people to foot that bill.' He said he would not walk a dog in the park this weekend and monitor the progress of the clean up after that. Advertisement 'Even yesterday the smell of diesel was still quite strong,' he said. 'It was still in a pretty bad condition yesterday and speaking to some of the guys from Kildare Wildlife, they weren't sure when or if the swans could ever be brought back.' The incident is the second oil spill Kildare Wildlife Rescue has responded to in the past few days. It removed another family of swans after an oil spill at ponds in a park in Kilminchy in Portlaoise, Co Laois last weekend. Mr Stokes said the heat made conditions for rescuing wildlife particularly complex. 'Rescuing wildlife is very difficult. Rescuing oiled wildlife is additionally difficult because you need to wear PPE, like facemasks and gowns, to protect yourself from the contaminates,' Mr Stokes told RTÉ Radio. Ireland More than 900 speeding fines revoked following 'hu... Read More 'Working in the high heat that we had last weekend… also comes the added complication where the oil and the water is evaporating and becoming quite toxic fumes for people, so it is a public safety concern as well as a concern for the first responders and the wildlife.' He said swans cannot be released until the spills are cleared up, and if they are released at another location they will fly back to their original home and risk being exposed to oil again. He said there were risks in keeping them at the centre and near humans for too long, as they can become stressed.
RTÉ News
18-07-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
Bank of Ireland apologises over oil spill at Dublin site
Bank of Ireland has said that it sincerely apologises for an oil spill at one of its sites in south Dublin, which impacted a number of animals at a public park. The diesel spill was detected at the bank's data centre in Cabinteely. The spill contaminated a lake in Kilbogget Park in the area. An assessment carried out on 16 July discovered diesel oil on the water, which was emitting strong fumes. A family of swans with four cygnets were rescued at the location; volunteers continue to try to rescue other water birds from the area. A spokesperson for Bank of Ireland said that it engaged with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in relation to the spill. "We would like to sincerely apologise to the local community for the impact caused," the spokesperson said. The EPA said that it was contacted by the bank yesterday about the oil spill, which happened following a delivery of fuel. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has said that booms and pads have been installed at the Kilbogget Park site to absorb the oil spill. The spokesperson said that the booms and pads will be replaced regularly while the oil is there. Animal rescue efforts also took place in Laois following a separate oil spill this week. Kildare Wildlife Rescue was alerted to an incident in the Kilminchy area of Portlaoise on 11 July, where severe oil pollution had affected three connected lakes in a residential area. The incident impacted a range of wildlife, including a family of swans with four cygnets along with several mallards, moorhens, coots, cormorants and herons. KWR had an emergency response team bring the swans to safety. KWR Rescue Coordinator Pearse Stokes, who has attended numerous oil spills, said the fumes were among the strongest he had experienced. "The site at Kilbogget Park had the most intense fumes that I have ever encountered in any oiled wildlife response. This is not just concerning for the wildlife affected, but also a public safety concern for people and their pets walking and exercising in the park. "This is a beautiful park with rich biodiversity and the impact of the oil will be severe on the wildlife in the area." Speaking on RTÉ's News At One, he said: "Rescuing oiled wildlife is additionally difficult because you need to wear PPE like facemasks and gowns to protect yourself from the contaminates and working then in the high heat that we had last weekend. "And with that heat also comes an added complication where the oil in the water is evaporating and becoming quite toxic fumes for people so it's a kind of public safety concern, as well as a concern for the safety of our first responders and the wildlife." Mr Stokes said the rescue team gathered up the swan family that lives on that particular pond and brought them to Kildare Wildlife Rescue. "We are all quietly very hopeful for both sets of swan families" that have been rescued, he said. He said a few days later when they responded to the second oil spill in south Dublin, he experienced "the worst fumes" he ever encountered on an oil spill. "We get a lot of them, but this was really, really heavy in the air and you couldn't really spend too long in there just because of the smell." He said they will continue to monitor both sites and pick up any animals that are sick and need to be taken into care. While the swan family from Laois are washed and stable, the charity said that the swans in Kilbogget are still undergoing treatment. An adult female is the most affected and is receiving intensive care from the Village Vets Greyabbey. The rehabilitation of oiled birds can be a difficult process, according to KWR Manager Dan Donoher. "The birds need to first be stabilised, warmed and given fluid therapy," he said. "Washing can never be done on the same day, they need to be strong and pass multiple health checks before the stressful washing process begins." He said that both swam families will remain in their care until their territories are clean and safe again. KWR currently has over 400 animals in its rehabilitation centre. While the source of the spill in Laois remains unknown, local county councils have begun clean-up operations and opened investigations into a potential cause. KWR thanked Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Laois County Council for their support with the rescue efforts.
Irish Times
18-07-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Emergency response team called to rescue birds from two inland oil spills just days apart
A wildlife charity has responded to the aftermath of two oil spills, carrying out emergency operations to rescue birds in Laois and Dublin. Kildare Wildlife Rescue (KWR) responded last Friday to an oil spill in Kilminchy, Portlaoise, where severe oil pollution affected three connected lakes in a residential area. A family of swans, with four cygnets, along with ducks and other birds were affected. The emergency response team took the swans to safety and said 'the process of cleaning and rehabilitating them has begun.' Five days later, the team was alerted to a second oil spill in Kilbogget Park near Cabinteely, South Dublin. READ MORE An initial assessment following the spill on Wednesday found diesel oil on the water, which was emitting strong fumes. A severely oiled swan was rescued from Kilbogget Park, Dublin. Photograph: Kildare Wildlife Rescue Another family of swans, along with four cygnets, were rescued the following day. Volunteers have been trying to rescue other water birds from the area. 'Both swan families will have to remain in our care until their territories are clean and safe again. We hope the oil can be cleaned up soon so that the families can return home,' KWR manager Dan Donoher said. A cygnet is washed following an oil spill in Kilminchy. Photograph: Kildare Wildlife Rescue Rescue co-ordinator for KWR, Pearse Stokes, said while oil spills were 'very common' in Ireland, these were different as 'the amount of oil or contaminant is considerable'. 'This is very intense, and particularly Kilbogget Park. Just walking through that park you could smell the fumes', he said. He said it was 'great to see so many members of the public reaching out to us' regarding the oil spills. KWR said the sources of the spills were unknown and were being investigated by the local authorities. Mr Stoke said both county councils 'were on site pretty quick. They've put in the various mitigation measures to try and remove some of this oil'. Laois County Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council have been contacted for comment.
The Journal
21-05-2025
- Health
- The Journal
Over 80% of badgers culled in government TB programme found to be free from the disease
OVER 80% OF badgers culled by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) tested negative for TB, The Journal Investigates can reveal. Figures obtained via DAFM post-mortem reports show that of the 10,301 culled badgers submitted for testing in the last five years, 8,211 were found to be clear of mycobacterium bovis – the bacteria that causes bovine tuberculosis (bTB). The healthy badgers were destroyed between 2020 and April 2025 as part of the State's bTB Eradication Programme , currently under immense strain from high cattle rates of the disease across the country. As reported by The Journal Investigates , the TB crisis is having a devastating toll on farming communities across the country. Every year, thousands of badgers are killed or vaccinated after being snared in controversial DAFM traps in a bid to control the livestock spread of the highly infectious disease. Last year alone, a total of 7,319 badgers were culled by DAFM – the highest number recorded in the last 10 years. In total, over 66,000 badgers have been destroyed since 2014 in the controversial culling programme, despite a 2018 government pledge to phase out the killings in favour of vaccination. However, we can reveal that there has been a drop in the number of badgers being vaccinated, and a rise in the number being culled – even in designated DAFM vaccine areas. The Journal / YouTube An investigation by The Journal Investigates can reveal that last year, 23% (1,690) of the badgers culled were destroyed in vaccine areas. These are locations where DAFM's primary method for managing bTB is supposed to be through vaccination, rather than culling. The figure is almost double that of 2023, when 12.5% (777) of the 6,238 badgers killed were destroyed in designated vaccine areas. In comparison, over 3,800 badgers were vaccinated in 2024, a drop from over 5,100 the year previous. Wildlife experts say DAFM now has 'serious questions' to answer over its badger culling programme. Pearse Stokes, rescue coordinator with Kildare Wildlife Rescue, said: 'It's very evident to anybody who looks at these numbers, that it doesn't work. 'So why has it been allowed to continue? It's totally ineffective, killing most of our badgers that are completely innocent and uninfected.' DAFM said its programme 'necessarily incorporates a wildlife strategy' which includes the removal of badgers in response to research 'conducted over many years' by the department. 'Such a requirement arises as tuberculosis is present both in cattle and in badgers and both species share the same environment, and the same strains of TB,' a spokesperson said. Investigations like this don't happen without your support… Impactful investigative reporting is powered by people like you. Support The Journal Investigates Dogs and foxes snared in department traps In Ireland, badgers are legally culled under the same legislation which protects them from persecution. Under the Wildlife Act 1976 , it is a criminal offence to intentionally kill or injure a badger, or to interfere with or destroy its sett. In 2003, the Act was amended to allow DAFM to use 'stopped body restraints' to trap the protected species for either culling or vaccination purposes. According to DAFM funded studies , lowering badger densities 'resulted in reduced incidences of bTB' in livestock. However, research surrounding the link between badger spread of the disease remains contested, with other countries rejecting culls in favour of robust biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of TB. Neither Wales nor Scotland cull the protected species, instead managing spread of the disease via badger vaccination, cattle-based measures, including enhanced testing and movement restrictions, as well as wildlife surveillance. Since 2009, Scotland has maintained EU recognised TB-free status, with official government veterinary advice stating that 'wildlife does not currently represent a risk' in terms of spreading the disease to cattle. Across the border, badgers in Northern Ireland are also protected from culling, though an attempt by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) was made to bring in the practice in recent years. In October 2023, the High Court quashed the national cull bid, ruling that DAERA's consultation process was flawed and therefore unlawful. The legal challenge was brought by Wild Justice and the NI Badger Group. Like Ireland, the province has seen a concerning hike in bovine TB with a 22.5% increase in TB reactors – cattle which test TB positive – in the first half of 2024, according to the Ulster Farmers Union. Advertisement Here, DAFM use controversial traps to both vaccinate and cull badgers as part of its TB eradication strategy. These consist of a multi-strand steel wire which incorporates a single swivel, a metal runner, a shackle and ferrule – a type of metal ring – which tightens around an animal to prevent it from escaping. The Journal / YouTube The devices, branded with DAFM information, are placed at setts by department contractors under licences issued by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Captured badgers are either shot and destroyed on site, or removed for vaccination. Although designed specifically for badgers, The Journal Investigates has learned that the traps have mistakenly snared thousands of other animals, mostly wildlife. Records obtained under AIE show that between 2014 and 2024, a lamb, two dogs and 4,399 foxes have been trapped in the DAFM devices. Asked if the animals were injured or found dead in the restraints, DAFM confirmed that the trapped foxes were either 'released or euthanised'. 'The euthanised foxes are used as part of our requirement to screen foxes for echinnocicoccus multilocularis, a parasite found in the Northern Hemisphere,' the department said. 'Approx [sic] 400 foxes per year are required for the screening.' The department could not confirm the numbers of foxes either destroyed or released, but did confirm the two dogs survived, while the lamb did not. We also asked how many badgers had been found injured or deceased in these traps. The department confirmed that in the last 10 years, 62 were found dead in the devices, with the numbers climbing year-on-year since 2018. However, wildlife experts have told The Journal Investigates that this number may be higher, as many trapped badgers are discovered by members of the public and wildlife rescuers before DAFM. A vet at Kildare Wildlife Rescue treats an injured badger following rescue. Pearse Stokes Pearse Stokes Panicked calls from public over traps Pearse Stokes, a wildlife first responder, said he regularly rescues seriously injured badgers and other animals from DAFM issued traps. 'We take every animal that comes from the snare into care, because we need to run X-rays and ultrasounds,' said Stokes. The team can find 'that their organs inside are horrifically damaged', he said. 'So even if the skin is not broken, we'll see ruptured bladders and all kinds of things, so they have to come into care, even if they look okay on the outside. 'However, we do respond to cases where the animals do not look okay on the outside, and they have been essentially gutted, sliced open by these snares.' Stokes says some of the badgers rescued from the 'barbaric' government traps have included lactating or pregnant females, raising fears for their young cubs. He describes 'panicked' calls from members of the public who stumble across the trapped animals. 'Sometimes they don't understand what they're seeing,' he told The Journal Investigates . We'll arrive on scene and say, yeah, this is a snare. And they'll kind of be thinking, what are you talking about? What do you mean, a snare? 'They'll be quite scared about what criminal entity potentially put that on their property when, in fact, it is the organisation charged with protecting and conserving our nature issuing licences for people to snare protected animals.' The Journal Investigates asked DAFM about Stokes' concerns. A spokesperson said that the species is protected by both the Berne Convention and national legislation. As such, local populations 'cannot be exterminated' and badger habitats 'cannot be destroyed'. They added: 'Badgers are captured under licence, issued by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. 'They are captured using a specifically designed stopped-body restraint approved under Section 34 of the 1976 Wildlife Act and a condition of the licence is that restraints are checked before noon the next day. All restraints are monitored daily.' Other issues encountered by wildlife rescuers is the uncertainty of whether the animals snared have been done so legally. He said: 'We go out and collect a snare, and before we're wondering, is this an official snare, or is it not? Is it accidentally set incorrectly? Is it intentionally set incorrectly? 'So we're then stuck in a situation where, from an animal welfare perspective, it's cut and dry. This animal needs to be helped. 'But from a legal perspective, are we looking at a wildlife crime? Are we looking at a bad or incompetent job, or are we looking at something completely legal?' Farming practices escalating TB spread Stokes recalled one recent, distressing fox rescue in Dublin. The animal had been illegally snared by a third party using a trap, designed similar to those used by DAFM. 'It took 11 days to locate this fox because it had broken the snare and escaped, with the snare around its waist,' he said. 'It had been completely disembowelled, and it had worn the flesh on its leg down to the bone in order to escape.' Sign up The Journal Investigates is dedicated to lifting the lid on how Ireland works. Our newsletter gives you an inside look at how we do this. Sign up here... Sign up .spinner{transform-origin:center;animation:spinner .75s infinite linear}@keyframes spinner{100%{transform:rotate(360deg)}} You are now signed up Incredibly, the animal survived. However, the incident is one of many encountered by wildlife rescuers who say criminals use the guise of legal practices to commit illegality. 'I think the easy answer is to ban these things, just like in Scotland and Wales and soon in England, that's the easy answer,' Stokes said. 'So there is no smoke screen there for illegal activity.' Ireland is one of only two European countries that currently operates a large-scale, government licensed badger cull. The other, England, last year vowed to phase out the practice in favour of vaccination. This was due to scientific research which examined the effectiveness of badger culling as a method to control bTB. This included a 2022 study commissioned by the British government which found no significant impact of badger culling on TB incidence among cattle herds. The Irish government first said it was moving towards vaccine control of bTB in 2018, however culling has continued under special licence since. The latest figures show TB herd incidence in the south of Ireland as 6%, a significant increase from the record low of 3.37% in 2015. As revealed by The Journal Investigates yesterday, Irish farmers are now bearing an almost daily financial and emotional toll of the current bTB crisis. According to figures released by the Agriculture Minister in March, over 41,600 cattle were destroyed following positive bTB tests on Irish farms in 2024. Dr Paddy Sleeman, a researcher in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at University College Cork, said research has pointed towards farming practices escalating bovine TB, rather than badgers alone. According to figures from the Central Statistic Office, dairy cow numbers increased by over 350,000 from 2014 to 2024 As reported by The Journal Investigates earlier, dairy cattle are prone to higher TB infection rates to larger herd sizes and the closer air-space proximity of the animals when milking. 'Obviously, removing badgers will lower the rate of transmission, but most transmission, particularly in dairy herds, is from cattle to cattle, not badger to cattle,' he said. 'When I was a kid, herd sizes were around 20 to 40. Today, they are around 300 to 400. 'So, any infectious disease is going to rise if you get a rise in the number of catalysts, both per unit. It's basic epidemiology.' Wildlife first responder Pearse Stokes rescuing a badger tangled in football nets. Pearse Stokes Pearse Stokes Three-quarters of public surveyed against snares Ruairí Ó Leocháin, a wildlife rescuer and primary school teacher, has repeatedly raised concerns about DAFM's use of snares and badger culling programme The Co Athlone man, part of wildlife activist group Stand With Badgers, runs his own wildlife rehabilitation facility and apiary in Westmeath. 'If you look at the Red C poll carried out by Stand With Badgers in 2022, over two thirds of the Irish population want a total ban on snares,' he told The Journal Investigates . It also showed that, which I found surprising, that as you go into the older age demographic, and into the farmers that are over 70, over 80% are anti-snare. 'These are the people who would have most experience of snares.' According to the Red C data, younger men 'are the toughest group to convince on the merits for an outright ban of snares in Ireland' compared to older generations. 'Empathy on this particular proposition seems to increase with age, and suggests the need to look to older people for support and the need to target younger people with further information to convert them,' it said. Earlier, The Journal Investigates revealed how one Kilkenny farmer suffered a TB outbreak on his farm despite being in a DAFM designated vaccine areas – where badgers are vaccinated, rather than culled. Jim Mulhall said he later discovered that no vaccines had been administered in the area for three years. Ó Leocháin said he feels 'sorry for farmers who are led up the garden path' and 'constantly told what to do' in managing the ongoing TB crisis. 'Whereas, what I'm seeing is, the farmers do not believe that the current bovine tuberculosis eradication policy is working. 'The numbers have gone through the roof over the last years, and there's no difference.' In a lengthy statement in response to The Journal Investigates , a DAFM spokesperson said that despite the 'crucial' vaccinating of badgers, it is 'still necessary to remove badgers' particularly around farms experiencing a severe TB outbreak. However, DAFM added that culling is 'not sustainable in the long term' due to its 'ultimate impact on badger ecology' and Ireland's commitments under the Bern convention. This protects Europe's wild species and habitats. 'Consequently, badger vaccination is also an integral part of the Irish TB Eradication Programme. 'This follows over 15 years of research work using BCG vaccine to prevent tuberculosis infection in badgers and scientific trials carried out between 2013 and 2017 show that vaccination is no less effective than culling.' The Journal Investigates Reporter: Patricia Devlin • Editor: Maria Delaney • Video Editor: Nicky Ryan • Social Media: Cliodhna Travers • Main Image Design: Lorcan O'Reilly Investigations like this don't happen without your support... Impactful investigative reporting is powered by people like you. Over 5,000 readers have already supported our mission with a monthly or one-off payment. Join them here: Support The Journal
