Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the presence of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, to take this Topical Issue. Last week, a Circuit Court judge voiced strong criticism of the conduct of the head of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's special investigation unit, SIU, urging that his conduct and that of the SIU in the case before the court be properly investigated. I will cite from reports of the case in question, in which Judge Leonie Reynolds stated:

it seems to me there was a very heavy-handed approach adopted here and as to how matters were handled thereafter, they were handled in a less than fair manner. I hope those comments will be taken on board in the Department and matters will be looked into.

I speak of the case that was brought against Mr. Douglas Fannin, a farmer in County Cavan. In her closing remarks, Judge Reynolds stated:

I want to be very clear, Mr. Fannin leaves this court here to-day with his reputation fully intact and without any question mark hanging over his integrity.

What has taken place in this regard? What step is the Minister now taking to address this serious and now publicly-exposed misconduct of members of his Department's special investigation unit? There are questions, namely, what has taken place and why and these questions must be answered fully. This is the reason a thorough Garda investigation is needed. I ask the Minister to advise Members today if this is how he expects matters to progress. The Garda should be fully involved. There is a need to establish what is the full truth behind this particular case and the series of visits to the farm and home of Mr. Fannin over the period in question. Whatever is the truth, there is no doubt but that there has been a blatant misleading of the courts by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine through its representatives. That is clear from the transcripts of the case, as reported in several publications, including in the Irish Farmers' Journal, The Sunday Times and several other popular daily newspapers.

It is critically important that the Minister now outlines the steps he intends to take and that he will confirm a thorough Garda investigation either is pending or already is under way. He also should advise Members as to the steps he will now take to restore domestic and international confidence in Ireland's beef sector, given that animals which officials of his Department believed were contaminated were allowed into the food chain through a European Union-licensed meat plant. These are serious matters, huge matters, that go far beyond the situation that maintained and presented for the unfortunate Mr. Fannin and his family.

I wish to put on record that this issue has continued for four to five years. During 2009 and 2010, I continually sought to properly advise the former Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, my constituency colleague, Deputy Brendan Smith, of the seriousness of what was unfolding. After consistent lobbying of the Minister, Deputy Smith, including at least one direct one-to-one meeting, I subsequently secured a meeting with the then Minister and the chief veterinary officer of the day, in the offices of the Minister at Agriculture House. I outlined to them both my serious concerns in respect of the conduct of the named head of the special investigation unit at that time. I implored them both to ensure there was an investigation of his alleged activities at that time. Had that been proceeded with and explored properly, I doubt whether the debacle that presented to the courts last week in the name of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and on behalf of the people would have taken place.

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