Report

Garda alert as €11,500 is stolen in phone scam

MORE than €11,500 has been taken recently from accounts in Kilkenny by fraud after four separate cases were reported to Gardaí locally.

All of the incidents stemmed from unsolicited text messages. e public is being urged again to be on high alert and not to click on any links or reply to messages if they are in any way suspicious.

Carlow Kilkenny Crime Prevention O cer Sgt Peter McConnon said: “ ese scammers may know your name and PPS number after getting your details from a hacked or leaked database.”

Sgt McConnon was explaining what happened during an elaborate three-part scam recently, telling KCLR News: “ eir phone does ring with a number which is mirroring a Garda station number so it looks like it’s coming from a genuine Garda station, even though it’s not, so people are being duped into thinking they are talking to a guard and they are being asked to transfer money into an account or to give personal information that would be able to basically in ltrate their nances.” e crime prevention o ce calling for the public to be suspicious of all calls. “ e Gardaí at no stage will be ringing you or no Government department will be ringing you and enquiring directly over the phone about your nances. If there’s a call to be made to somebody in relation to a scam that they may be subjected to normally the complaint comes from the person to the Gardaí rather than vice-versa.”

Sgt McConnon said you could not trust any call at this stage. “I’ll go so far, actually even further, that if you have a named person saved in your phone, a contact saved in your phone, and they’re able to mirror that person’s number, their name will come up on the call that they’re making as well.

“You have to be very mindful of who you’re talking to and what you’re talking about,” he said.

New vet meds rule pushed back to June, says minister

THE introduction of a prescription-only requirement on the supply of anti-parasitic medicines has been delayed until June, the Minister for Agriculture has con rmed. e move is set out in the department’s roadmap for the implementation of new EU-wide Veterinary Medicinal Regulations — covering the likes of wormers and y control — which will come into force on January 28.

Merchants and farmers have welcomed the development, saying it will avoid mounting costs on farmers and chaotic procurement issues for businesses next spring.

Minister Charlie McConalogue said the delay would enable all stakeholders to make the necessary adjustments to ensure compliance. e regulations will apply in full from June 1. e minister also announced that while the new National Veterinary Prescription System (NVPS) would be in place as planned for the end of January, he would delay its country-wide mandatory use for the same period.

Prescriptions issued by vets for anti-parasitic medicines after June 1 will be valid for a maximum of 12 months. e Independent Licensed Merchants Association praised the minister “for enabling some vital breathing space” for livestock farmers and merchants. However, they warned that questions remained unresolved over the ease of access from Northern Ireland; the need for training of dispensers to access the NVPS; training for all dispensers on providing anti-parasitic resistance advice; and awareness of the changes to livestock farmers and horse owners.

“ e new anti-parasitic advisory service, proposed by the minister, needs careful examination to ensure licensed merchants can still select and dispense the right product, used responsibly at the right time and correct way,” they said.

ICSA animal health chair Hugh Farrell said farmers “will be relieved” but said there was a major onus on the department to ensure farmers were made fully aware of the new regime in good time.

Purple rain ...

Trending on social media is this stunning purple wisteria on one of the most famous spots in Kilkenny for spotting wisteria. The contrast between the flowering purple and white walls, plus the quiet road, make the house in Inistioge ideal spot for avid photographers

Ryan ‘must come clean’ on Cuffe bank comment

IFA President Tim Cullinan said that Green Party leader, Minister Eamon Ryan, must clarify if he supported MEP Ciarán Cu e’s letter to banks advising them not to lend to dairy farmers.

“ is letter was a disgraceful act by a Dublin-based MEP, seeking to sabotage farmers and rural Ireland,” he said.

“It shows farmers that, despite all the gu about wanting to support them, the Green Party are in fact undermining farmers at every hand’s turn,” he said.

“Instead of this, they should be focusing on delivering low-cost nance options for Irish farmers to support better on-farm e ciencies to reduce emissions,” he said.

“Minister Ryan must set the record straight on this and tell us if he supports what MEP Cu e has done.”

Mr Cullinan said the IFA would be writing to the main banks in relation to Mr. Cu e’s letter.

€1m. fund allocated for our local parks

ALMOST €1 million has been allocated to develop outdoor adventure projects in Kilkenny.

A total of €934,490 has been awarded under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS) announced by the Government today. e funding will be used develop natural amenities and support outdoor pursuits such as hiking, mountaineering, kayaking, swimming and cycling. e following Kilkenny projects will bene t from the funding boost:

*Kilkenny Countryside Park:

Some €499,500 has been allocated for the enhancement of recreational amenities along the North Kilkenny Cycle Loop, including railhead, the Parade, the Weir River Nore Swimming Area, Bleach Road, Kilkenny Countryside Park on the site of the old Dunmore Municipal Land ll in Dunmore).

*Castlecomer Discovery Park:

€50,000 to engage consultancy services with expertise in landuse planning, heritage, economics and tourism. e Discovery Park has also received a further €195,945 to develop the Ardra Looped Walk & Arboretum Walk and the provision of age friendly accessible amenity spaces and interpretation signage.

*Woodstock Gardens and

Estate, Inistioge: €189,045 to upgrade woodland and garden trails to improve accessibility for all, with accessible trails, age friendly and disabled parking and wheelchair swing.

Kilkenny TD John Paul Phelan said the investment in local projects will “bene t people of all ages and abilities for generations to come”.

Deputy Phelan said: “ is unprecedented investment will also help further our ambition to support our rural economies and make rural Ireland a destination of choice for adventure tourism. Outdoor pursuits have become an even bigger part of all of our lives over the past two years.

“ rough this fund, we are developing and enhancing the fantastic natural amenities in our rural communities so more and more people can access and enjoy them,” deputy Phelan said,