A total of 40 cattle, worth approximately €20,000, were officially reported as stolen in Ireland in 2019, figures from the Department of Agriculture show.

Using a conservative estimate of €500/head, cattle to the value of €20,000 were stolen from farmers in 2019.

The county with the most thefts was Monaghan, with 16 cattle stolen this year. It was followed by Tipperary with 13 thefts.

Three cattle were stolen in the last year in Limerick, three in Laois, two in Galway and one in counties Kildare, Cavan, Clare, Donegal. Eighteen of the cattle were stolen in border counties.

A Department of Agriculture spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal that just two of the cattle reported stolen were recovered.

“The theft of livestock is a criminal offence. All incidents of stolen animals should therefore be reported to the An Garda Síochána by the relevant keeper for investigation. Where an incident of cattle theft occurs, the owner/keeper of the stolen animals should also notify the appropriate Regional Veterinary Office (RVO) in writing, including details of animals stolen, date of theft and evidence that the incident has been reported to An Garda Síochána.

“The RVO subsequently liaises with the Department’s AIM division in ensuring that the animals are recorded as stolen on the AIM system. Records of all reported stolen cattle are maintained centrally by AIM division,” the spokesperson said.

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