Eamon Scanlon (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Cathaoirleach for accepting this matter and the Minister of State for being here to reply. I want him to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disposal of TB cattle belonging to farmers from County Sligo to a meat plant in Dublin, which has subsequently gone out of business. What steps will he take to ensure that the farmers concerned are compensated for their loss?

Since I tabled this matter on the Adjournment, I discovered that there are 191 farmers nationwide who found that they were not paid for cattle. In respect of the TB eradication scheme, the Department of Agriculture and Food licences haulage companies to take the cattle and also, under a tender process, licences the meat factories where these cattle are slaughtered. The farmers concerned have no say whatsoever in who collects their cattle or where their cattle go. Due to a problem that arose early last year under that scheme, cattle were collected from some farmers in my county and across the country and taken to a meat plant which, unfortunately, has gone into liquidation.

Some farmers have not been paid. There would be a greater outcry over the matter but for the fact that, for certain farmers, it involved only one, two or three animals. Unfortunately, a farmer in my county lost half his cattle – 18 animals – and this is a blow from which he is unable to fight back. That is why I am raising this issue.

I understand that farmers across the country are getting together to fight this case because I and they believe that there is an obligation on the Department to honour the debt owed to them. This is because they had no say in where the cattle were taken. The amount of money involved is around £200,000. We all know what will happen if the case goes to court. Half a million euro will be spent on legal costs and, ultimately, the farmers will be paid.