Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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123. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will commit to a public inquiry involving all relevant stake holders regarding the issue on the farm of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61216/22]

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach and I am delighted this question has been selected. I am sure the Minister is well aware of this issue and I will expand on it in the further minutes I have, but this was the issue that was raised at the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the past week. It was not a new issue at that point; it has been going on for several years for Dan Brennan and his family. Dan himself gave evidence before the committee and I am asking for a public inquiry and to ensure all of the stakeholders who are relevant to this matter are included in such an inquiry?

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Funchion for her question. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine was involved with other public sector bodies in an investigation of animal health and environmental concerns on the farm of the person to whom the Deputy has referred and has provided details.

I am aware of the case of the person the Deputy has referred to and I understand the burden the situation has placed on him. This inter-agency group, IAG, was convened in June 2004 and comprised my Department’s laboratories, the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as Teagasc, the Health Services Executive and Kilkenny County Council.

Two separate investigations and a review were undertaken.

The first of the investigations was led by my Department's veterinary laboratory service, VLS. Extensive field and laboratory investigations were undertaken on the farm. Laboratory results were provided to the herdowner on an ongoing basis and supports for a comprehensive herd health programme were also provided.  On the conclusion of the VLS investigations and as part of the IAG, the VLS reported its findings in June 2006. This report was provided to the herdowner and his advisers at that time.

Subsequently, and on foot of a request by the herdowner and his advisers, University College Dublin’s Centre for Veterinary Epidemiology and Risk Analysis, CVERA, was commissioned to conduct further epidemiological studies of problems on the farm. That report was completed in August 2009.  This was provided to the herdowner and his advisers. 

The inter-agency group reviewed the findings of both investigations and published its final report in August 2010. This was also provided to the herdowner and his advisers. 

Both investigation reports and the report of the inter-agency group review referred to above detail all of the comprehensive studies of animal health and environmental health parameters undertaken on this farm and the interpretation of those findings by experts from the agencies involved.

These reports have been in the public domain since the conclusion of the investigative process and remain available for review by anyone who wishes to access them.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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With all due respects to the Minister, that is a sort of history of the situation as to where we are now but a great deal more needs to be done. For anyone who is unaware of this case or situation, or is watching these proceedings, when I first heard about it, it reminded me of the movie "Erin Brockovich" or the movie that was based on the company which made Teflon.

This man, who was an excellent farmer, was told time and time again by the State, which includes the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, that he was basically not up to standard as a farmer. He had been saying all along that it was to do with a premises and industry which was in operation right next to his farm in respect of the contamination of his land. It turns out he was correct about that because when the company closed up, everything went back to exactly as it should be on the farm. He was, therefore, correct and was made to feel I am sure, at times, that he was going crazy. He was ridiculed and was totally and utterly let down. That is an understatement. There needs to be an inquiry now with all stakeholders because there needs to be accountability. It is not good enough for people to say they are sorry to Dan Brennan and his family, that they understand there was a burden, and that they understand how difficult it was.

We need accountability. People were telling him for years he was wrong but in fact he was correct. What is going to happen now, what compensation or what is going to come of this?

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Funchion. The reason I outlined the background to the case and the various assessments and investigations which took place was to outline that this is something that has been looked at in great detail. The investigations through the inter-agency group were completed as far back as 2010. This has been an issue and has been under consideration for a long time now, a very significant investigation and assessment has been carried out, and had been reported to the farmer and his advisers. That is the backdrop to this matter and that is why I outlined it.

All of those reports are available for public assessment and viewing. There is not any proposal to re-open this matter and I believe there was a very thorough assessment and investigation at the time.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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That reply will not be acceptable to Dan Brennan and to the other farmers in the area. They attended a meeting of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine last week and there was great support for Dan. He was present with his wife and family, together with other farmers from the locality, and local IFA representatives. Although I am not a member of the agriculture committee, I attended it last week and this committee was very much of one voice on this issue. This is a cross-party committee which includes Government as well as Opposition representatives and the sense I got from the committee is that there is an appetite for a public inquiry into this. We cannot allow a situation to prevail where there is no accountability. This happens so often in this State and the one point I made at the committee last week was that any investigation which takes place needs to have very good, strong, robust and strict terms of reference which will allow for accountability.

To say this man has been failed, while trying think of the correct language one can use in this Parliament, is an understatement. A great deal more needs to be done; this will not be the end of the matter. I am shocked to hear the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine believe that is just it. That certainly will not be the case from the point of view of the people in the area.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I have outlined the comprehensive assessments, investigations and work that was undertaken by the inter-agency group, which completed its work and published its report in 2010. I welcome the fact that the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine considered the issue recently and, following that, l am interested in hearing the views and perspective of the committee on the hearing it had. I look forward to receiving that information and considering the matter. I outlined today the very comprehensive and in-depth reports and assessment, which were completed more than 12 years ago. The agriculture committee always keeps me up to speed with the work it undertakes, and I will certainly review any submission I receive from it.