Latest news with #TJMaher
Agriland
01-07-2025
- Health
- Agriland
‘Major concern' as MSD ceases lepto vaccine production
The news that MSD Animal Health has ceased production of a widely-used vaccine for leptospirosis is a 'major concern', according to Ireland's largest farming organisation. Irish Farmers' Association animal health chairperson, TJ Maher has said that farmers are 'now left scrambling to secure an alternative' vaccine. MSD ruminant unit business director, Jack O'Connor has confirmed that the 'difficult decision' has been made to discontinue the production of Bovilis Leptavoid-H. 'Bovilis Leptavoid-H was developed more than 30 years ago, and while this unique vaccine has a strong safety and efficacy profile, it has always proven very difficult to produce, creating recurrent supply challenges,' O'Connor explained. 'Despite multiple years of improvement and remediation efforts, we have not been able to consistently supply the market with a product that meets our quality standards. 'MSD Animal Health is a strong advocate for the important role vaccination plays in reducing the incidence and severity of disease, protecting animal welfare and enabling efficient farming of livestock.' IFA' s TJ Maher said this is going to create a serious issue for farmers who are due to administer a lepto vaccine to their herd in the coming months. 'Reports from our members indicate that there are little alternatives currently available with one of the key alternative vaccines not available until September,' Maher said. 'This could mean that a lot of cattle herds will lose protection from leptospirosis if they miss their annual booster shot.' Vaccine shortages Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that often leads to reduced milk production, decreased fertility and abortions in cows. It is also a zoonotic disease meaning that humans can potentially pick up the disease from infected animals, which further increases the potential implications of this vaccine shortage. The IFA animal health chairperson outlined that the availability of vaccines when needed is critical for farmers in protecting and maintaining the health, welfare and productivity of animals while reducing antibiotic usage. 'Over the last number of years, farmers have experienced increasing shortages of certain vaccines at critical times and here we are with the same problem yet again,' Maher said. 'Pasteurella vaccine availability have been especially problematic this year.' According to Maher, there have been several special import licences issued for alternative vaccines, but these 'often come too late after supplies have been depleted'. 'The Department of Agriculture must be more proactive in identifying potential supply issues at an early stage and intervene to avoid a situation like we are facing now where farmers may not be able to protect their herd from a potentially very harmful disease,' Maher added. 'These vaccines are too important to animal and human health; we cannot have situations where these vaccines become unavailable to farmers.'
Irish Examiner
25-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
IFA urge the department to do more to secure Lepto vaccines
The announcement that production of the Leptavoid-H vaccine will cease has caused major concern, with many Irish farmers now left scrambling in search of an alternative. It comes after MSD recently announced it will cease production of its widely used Leptavoid-H vaccine, which is used by stock keepers to prevent Leptospirosis, a bacterial disease in cattle. Leptospirosis can cause abortions, decrease fertility and reduce milk production in cattle. This bacterial disease is also zoonotic, meaning that humans can potentially contract the disease from infected animals. 'This will create a serious issue for farmers who are due to administer a lepto vaccine to their herd in the coming months... This could mean that a lot of cattle herds will lose protection from Leptospirosis if they miss their annual booster shot,' said IFA Animal Health Chair TJ Maher. The IFA Animal Health Chair outlined that the availability of vaccines when needed is "critical" for farmers in protecting and maintaining the health, welfare and productivity of our animals while reducing antibiotic usage. 'Farmers have experienced increasing shortages of certain vaccines at critical times, and here we are with the same problem yet again... These vaccines are too important to animal and human health; we cannot have situations where these vaccines become unavailable to farmers,' he added. Commenting on MSD's decision to end production of the vaccine, Jack O'Connor, MSD Ruminant Unit Business Director, said: 'Bovilis Leptavoid-H was developed more than 30 years ago, and while this unique vaccine has a strong safety and efficacy profile, it has always proven very difficult to produce, creating recurrent supply challenges. "Despite multiple years of improvement and remediation efforts, we have not been able to consistently supply the market with a product that meets our strict quality standards. Therefore, we have had to make the difficult decision to discontinue the product.'
RTÉ News
23-05-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Opposition TDs take issue with Government's badger-culling programme
Pádraic Fogarty, ecologist and TJ Maher, Chair of the IFA's Animal Health Committee, debate the need to cull wild badgers as part of efforts to prevent the spread of TB in cattle.
Irish Independent
21-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Major Nua Bioenergy plant gets go-ahead in Tipperary
Nua Bioenergy Limited has been given the green light by the county council for the construction of an anaerobic digestion plant consisting of four primary digester tanks, each measuring 7.6 m in height. The site is in the townland of Killoran, Moyne. The plans have attracted submissions and observations from around a dozen parties. Purser Development Consultants Limited wrote to the council on behalf of their client, Nua Bioenergy Ltd, saying: 'The proposed development offers a state-of-the-art biomethane and bio-based fertiliser production facility designed to significantly boost Ireland's biogas output. 'This facility will play a pivotal role in mitigating agricultural waste and curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the agricultural sector. 'By aligning with the strategic goals of the Tipperary County Development Plan 2022-2028, and fulfilling both national and regional policy objectives, this project demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainable energy practices and environmental stewardship.' Local landowner TJ Maher was among those who raised concerns about the development, citing the potential for devaluation of land, and its impact on his family in the future, adding that 'odour and smells omitted will attract vermin and possible disease for my livestock adjacent to the proposed site'. Additionally, 'my access road to my lands is not good enough for the expected volume of heavy traffic expect to import 98,000 tons of waste to feed the anaerobic digester plant. Also heavy traffic during construction of the site'. Nearby local residents David Hogan and Mary Anne Cantwell-Hogan cited concerns about the site notice, the site location of the proposed development in relation to local residential housing, the operating hours and manufacturing processes involved, the environmental impacts such as noise, air, and light pollution, the risk of explosion, and devaluation of property. There are to be three secondary digester tanks, along with the four primaries, each measuring 14.5m in height, along with four feed hoppers, four technical rooms ranging in size from 35 sqm to 95 sqm, two biogas conditioning units, and process, storage and buffer tanks of various heights. These components will be located within a containment bund constructed 3m below ground level. The proposed development will also consist of feedstock storage comprised of three storage clamps and two 500 sqm storage sheds. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more The plans include a biomethane upgrading plant, including a natural gas compression unit, a biomethane loading facility consisting of four loading bays with associated gates and safety features measuring 490 sqm in area. Provision is made for a biomass boiler with its associated pellet storage silo, 12.5 m in height, and a combined heat and power (CHP) plant and associated heat exchanger. The plans include a single storey bio-based fertiliser processing and storage unit of 3,890 sqm, including a digestate dewatering plant, fertiliser pasteurisation plant and bio-based fertiliser loading facilities. Additionally, there will be a single storey office building of 105 sqm, including offices, a meeting room, control room, laboratory, welfare facilities, a storeroom and a first-aid facility, along with bin storage. There will be nine car parking spaces, including five standard parking spaces, two electric vehicle (EV) spaces and one accessible car parking space, electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, ten bicycle parking spaces, along with vehicular, cyclist and pedestrian access and egress and associated circulation routes. The project includes two weighbridges, a vehicle steam wash area, a fuel storage tank, an emergency flare 7.6 m in height, a process area runoff lagoon, attenuation pond, an ESB sub-station, and all boundary treatments such as gates, piers, fencing, and site lighting. The council granted planning permission on May 6 subject to 14 conditions.
Irish Independent
21-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Major Nua Bioenergy plant gets go-ahead in Co Tipperary
Nua Bioenergy Limited has been given the green light by the county council for the construction of an anaerobic digestion plant consisting of four primary digester tanks, each measuring 7.6 m in height. The site is in the townland of Killoran, Moyne. The plans have attracted submissions and observations from around a dozen parties. Purser Development Consultants Limited wrote to the council on behalf of their client, Nua Bioenergy Ltd, saying: 'The proposed development offers a state-of-the-art biomethane and bio-based fertiliser production facility designed to significantly boost Ireland's biogas output. 'This facility will play a pivotal role in mitigating agricultural waste and curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the agricultural sector. 'By aligning with the strategic goals of the Tipperary County Development Plan 2022-2028, and fulfilling both national and regional policy objectives, this project demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainable energy practices and environmental stewardship.' Local landowner TJ Maher was among those who raised concerns about the development, citing the potential for devaluation of land, and its impact on his family in the future, adding that 'odour and smells omitted will attract vermin and possible disease for my livestock adjacent to the proposed site'. Additionally, 'my access road to my lands is not good enough for the expected volume of heavy traffic expect to import 98,000 tons of waste to feed the anaerobic digester plant. Also heavy traffic during construction of the site'. Nearby local residents David Hogan and Mary Anne Cantwell-Hogan cited concerns about the site notice, the site location of the proposed development in relation to local residential housing, the operating hours and manufacturing processes involved, the environmental impacts such as noise, air, and light pollution, the risk of explosion, and devaluation of property. There are to be three secondary digester tanks, along with the four primaries, each measuring 14.5m in height, along with four feed hoppers, four technical rooms ranging in size from 35 sqm to 95 sqm, two biogas conditioning units, and process, storage and buffer tanks of various heights. These components will be located within a containment bund constructed 3m below ground level. The proposed development will also consist of feedstock storage comprised of three storage clamps and two 500 sqm storage sheds. ADVERTISEMENT The plans include a biomethane upgrading plant, including a natural gas compression unit, a biomethane loading facility consisting of four loading bays with associated gates and safety features measuring 490 sqm in area. Provision is made for a biomass boiler with its associated pellet storage silo, 12.5 m in height, and a combined heat and power (CHP) plant and associated heat exchanger. The plans include a single storey bio-based fertiliser processing and storage unit of 3,890 sqm, including a digestate dewatering plant, fertiliser pasteurisation plant and bio-based fertiliser loading facilities. Additionally, there will be a single storey office building of 105 sqm, including offices, a meeting room, control room, laboratory, welfare facilities, a storeroom and a first-aid facility, along with bin storage. There will be nine car parking spaces, including five standard parking spaces, two electric vehicle (EV) spaces and one accessible car parking space, electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, ten bicycle parking spaces, along with vehicular, cyclist and pedestrian access and egress and associated circulation routes. The project includes two weighbridges, a vehicle steam wash area, a fuel storage tank, an emergency flare 7.6 m in height, a process area runoff lagoon, attenuation pond, an ESB sub-station, and all boundary treatments such as gates, piers, fencing, and site lighting. The council granted planning permission on May 6 subject to 14 conditions.
