Portumna Mart reopens with strict 'no credit policy'

Portumna Mart opened the gates on Wednesday (May 21) with a strict “no credit policy” in place after a court heard the mart went from being €1.6-million in the red to a surplus of €140,000.

The High Court had sanctioned the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) to suspend the mart’s licence last month,  but this week the business at the heart of the local farming community returned to operation on Wednesday morning.

The PSRA is the statutory body with responsibility for licensing and regulating the property services sector in Ireland.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) livestock marts must meet operating standards and animal health standards in order to obtain the required licence needed to permit livestock trading.

Senator Anne Rabbitte, who is originally from Portumna, said the reopening of the mart will be “welcome news” to the entire community.

“Portumna Mart is the life and soul of this community, it is a huge victory that the mart is reopening.

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“This is a very rural area and Portumna Mart is much more than just a mart to this community – it is always a place for people to meet up, it provides a very important social opportunity for people and really is part of the fabric of Portumna.

“It is also hugely important to the town, particularly for businesses in the town. We’ve seen what the lack of a mart has been like – when the mart is on it brings people into the town and the impact of no mart has been less people coming into the town, so we’re delighted to get it back,” Senator Rabbitte added.