Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Farmers accept this needs to be tackled. However, in recent times, we have had meetings with farming organisations and all have expressed their concern at the issuing of letters regarding TB herd history. It has angered not just farmers in my constituency but all over the country. They are saying that what the Department has done is to affect the welfare of individual farmers by sending out letters, and many of them believe this leads to the devaluation of their herds. This was all done without any protection being offered to them at a time farm families are really struggling, which is accepted by all in the House.

One of the biggest worries they have concerns the implications of GDPR. Will the Minister outline the decision which led to letters being sent out? Will he speak to the farmers who believe their livelihoods may have been damaged as a result? Will he comment on the data protection implications?

See this speech in context