Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Cahill and the committee for their work on this and for commissioning the report on the environmental impact of local industrial emissions in Castlecomer, County Kilkenny, which was completed last year. I acknowledge the presence of Dan Brennan and his colleagues, farm representatives Francie Gorman and Denis Drennan, who are the presidents of the IFA and ICMSA, and other representatives and supporters.

The report deals with the issues Mr. Brennan and his advisers have raised with regard to the environmental impact allegedly caused by industrial emissions from a brick factory. The committee has put significant time and work into this and held a number of meetings to assess it. The clear ask from everyone collectively is for a further review and assessment of what happened. When we discussed this most recently in a Topical Issue debate, I undertook to assess the matter further. I also requested to be informed of any additional further information. With the passage of time, there is no new information but significant assessments were done previously.

While I do not see any basis, as such, from my assessment of the matter, in acknowledgement of the work the committee has done and the questions it is raising it is appropriate that I have a separate independent review of the Department's investigation and any information that fed into it, to examine this further, provide feedback and look at what has been done. Twenty years is long time and there is a lot of water under the bridge. I respect the work of the committee, the priority and time it has collectively given to this issue and the assessment it has made. In recognition of this, it is fair that I ask an independent person to review the Department's work and investigation into this matter and any other information.

It is important to recount the work carried out by a number of State agencies since these events occurred 20 years ago or more. In 2003, the problems reported in Mr. Brennan's herd were initially investigated by the regional veterinary laboratory in Kilkenny. Because of the severity and intractable nature of the problem experienced on the farm, a legitimate question was raised about the possibility of environmental pollution playing a role in Mr. Brennan's farming difficulties. Having looked at all of the options and given the gravity of the situation, an interagency group was convened in line with the protocol for the investigative approach to serious animal and human health issues.

The substantial resources required to convene an interagency group meant this decision was not taken lightly. The decision to do so reflected the serious consideration given to Mr. Brennan's farm, the possible risks to the environment and the potential human health concerns also raised at the time. The interagency group comprised relevant and expert bodies of the State with competence to assess, on a scientific and objective basis, whether environmental pollution could have a role to play in the farm's difficulties.

The group was not in any way dismissive of the possibility that environmental pollution was a factor in the issues on the farm. Indeed, the opposite was the case because the group was expressly established to explore this possibility. The group comprised experts from the Department's veterinary laboratories, Teagasc, the South Eastern Health Board, as it then was, and Kilkenny County Council. The Environmental Protection Agency, as the body with specific expertise and responsibility for monitoring the control of environmental pollution, was also a member of the group. This joint and combined scientific investigation into Mr. Brennan's difficulties and the wider environment was impartial, detailed and substantial.

The veterinary laboratory's report of June 2006 details the comprehensive field and laboratory investigations undertaken on the farm. In tandem with the investigation, during the latter part of 2005 the Department funded a comprehensive animal health programme on the farm. On foot of this, we understand that animal health and production on the farm had shown a definite improvement from the first five months of 2006. Subsequently, and on foot of a request by Mr. Brennan and his advisers, University College Dublin's centre of veterinary epidemiology and risk analysis, CVERA, was commissioned to conduct further epidemiological studies on the farm. The CVERA report was completed in August 2009. Teagasc carried out animal production investigations, which included animal feeding and nutrition trials between 2003 and 2005, trace element analysis in 2004 and soil and herbage investigations in 2007, in support of the additional investigation of CVERA and the EPA.

Substantial and in-depth investigations were conducted by the EPA into fluoride emissions analysed by University College Cork, a tree survey conducted by UCD school of agriculture, an Environmental Protection Agency report on licence parameters and compliance monitoring, continuous emissions monitoring system outputs, dispersion modelling of cadmium emissions, production records regarding material safety data sheets, grass and soil analysis and an independent peer review of the work of the operations of the brick factory by US and UK environmental experts. The HSE reviewed human health parameters as part of the interagency group investigations. This involved an examination of any unusual patterns of human illness in the area. Kilkenny County Council carried out assessments of the water on the farm.

The interagency report of 2010 had regard to all of the reports by the various agencies involved. On the basis of scientific evaluation of these investigations, the interagency group issued its conclusions in its final report of August 2010. I understand that at all stages Mr. Brennan was kept apprised of ongoing studies and receive the reports as they were completed. Mr. Brennan and his advisers were also provided with opportunities to raise any concerns they may have had about the ongoing investigations. I am advised that Mr. Brennan sought a meeting with the authors of the 2009 CVERA report before the final draft was completed. On both occasions Mr. Brennan was given the opportunity to correct any factual errors in or omissions from the reports.

The final interagency report in 2010 specifically concluded there was no evidence of environmental pollution, cadmium or fluoride impact on the health of animals on Mr. Brennan's farm. These conclusions were based on wide-ranging clinical and pathological analysis of blood and tissues of animals on the farm and from extensive environmental analysis.

I acknowledge the report of the joint committee and I specifically note that the committee disagrees with some of the conclusions of the interagency report. However, it is evident that at the time the effort by the State to get to the bottom of the matter was significant. The agencies involved were there to serve the public interest. I do not have any reason to believe their efforts were intended to do anything other than establish the facts on this matter.

Notwithstanding the significant scientific work carried out by the five agencies as part of the interagency group, which concluded with the findings of the interagency report of 2010, I appreciate very much the human element of this.

I acknowledge the stress experienced by Mr. Brennan and his family due to the health issues in his herd, which undoubtedly have been very difficult. In recognition of that and of the work and request of the committee, I will now move to seek an independent review of the Department's investigation into this and of the reports that fed into it, to report back to me.

Again, I thank the committee for its work in giving time and attention to this, looking into it and bringing its final report before the Dáil. I acknowledge the presence of Dan Brennan with many of his supporters and colleagues, including the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan.

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