Susan O'Keeffe (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I would like to raise the serious matter of the special investigations unit of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I have spent some time examining this issue and there have been some disturbing reports about evidence being planted, hiding evidence, bullying, heavy-handedness and forged documentation. There appears to be a pattern over a number of years in respect of the activities of the special investigations unit within the aforementioned Department. Like many people, including the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, I believe it is important to do everything that can be done to ensure a healthy and prosperous food industry in Ireland, as well as for the protection of farmers and the payments made to them. However, the idea that a unit may end up planting evidence in people's homes and forging documents is extremely serious.

We now see reports relating to an unpublished report within the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine which, strangely, took the opportunity to find ways to offer some criticism of a judge who offered observations about the special investigations unit in a court case last year. A document, which has not been published and which was written by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, suggests the judge's remarks may have been influenced by an unsubstantiated allegation or that perhaps if the prosecution counsel had been able to explain and clarify the circumstances, the judge might have said differently. I find this very disturbing that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's officials are suggesting privately that a judge in the judicial system is somehow not behaving as she ought to. This is a very serious matter and it is as serious as the other matters relating to the special investigations unit. Will the Leader ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to come to the House to give an explanation and tell us what has been happening with the special investigations unit, which seems to be turning into some kind of private hit squad, and I do not say that lightly? There are very serious matters going on behind the scenes and, as I said, in the interests of farmers and of our very valuable industry, the Minister could do well by coming to the House to help explain what has been happening, in particular in regard to this unpublished report which is a very serious departure for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.