Courts / Carlow / Report
State seeks to reinstate compliance notices at duck egg farm over salmonella concerns
Summary
At the High Court, the State successfully applied for a stay on a Carlow District Court order that had annulled compliance notices issued to Slaney Duck Eggs, operated by John Fitzgerald. The matter was adjourned to next month for hearing. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is challenging a December 2025 decision by Judge Catherine Hayden, which overturned two compliance orders blocking the sale of duck eggs due to Salmonella concerns. The Department alleges that serious public health risks were identified following inspections linked to a cluster of rare Salmonella Hesserak cases. Officials sampled three duck houses in July 2024, with five samples testing positive for Salmonella Hesserak and four for Salmonella Typhimurium. Consequently, the Department served notices prohibiting the sale or supply of the eggs. Fitzgerald appealed, arguing that the Department's sampling procedures did not strictly apply to ducks and that positive results could stem from environmental contamination rather than the farm. Judge Hayden allowed the appeal, finding the Department's internal standards were not mandatory for ducks. Today, Conor Doherty SC secured the stay, preserving the compliance notices pending the full hearing next month.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: State seeks to reinstate compliance notices at duck egg farm over salmonella concerns. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- December 2025 Hearing Or Sentence
- July 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
- August 2024 Other
- 2026-03-23 Publication
Case subjects
Applicant
Outcome: At the High Court today, Conor Doherty SC, successfully applied for a stay on the Carlow District Court order and the matter was adjourned to next month for hearing.
Applicant
Outcome: At the High Court today, Conor Doherty SC, successfully applied for a stay on the Carlow District Court order and the matter was adjourned to next month for hearing.
Places mentioned
Topics
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