The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has confirmed it participated in a recent joint cross-border enforcement operation in Cherbourg, France, in which Irish livestock hauliers received on-the-spot fines. A spokesperson for the RSA said their transport officials’ role was to “observe their French counterparts when they were inspecting Irish-registered commercial vehicles”.

Drivers were checked for compliance with EU regulations on drivers’ hours, tachograph, certificate of professional competence (CPC), posting of drivers and operator licensing requirements, the spokesperson added.

The Irish Farmers Journal understands that nine livestock hauliers were pulled aside and fined on-the-spot, the collective amount of which was in excess of €50,000.

On-the-spot fines is not a practice permitted in Ireland.

This publication also understands that the fines issued were legitimate.

The hauliers subsequently missed the boat they had intended to sail on.

‘Ambush’

Reacting to the fines, Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) president Seán McNamara said the events in Cherbourg “can only be described as an ambush on live exports”. Speaking at an Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Michael Collins TD said the fines were “akin to a stealth policy of undermining the economic viability of live exports”.

“We now have the insane situation where Irish officials were sent over to France to dictate to Irish drivers on the French side.”

Penalised

“I want to know on whose clear authority they were sent there. I want to know what the true agenda of this expedition was that resulted in Irish hauliers being penalised,” he added.