Kathleen Funchion demands public inquiry into farmer's contamination case

Thanks very much. I am delighted that this question was selected. Minister, I am sure you are well aware of this issue and I will expand further in the further minutes that I have, but this is the issue that was raised at the Agricultural Committee last week and certainly it was not new at that point. It has been going on for several years for Dan Brennan and his family. Dan himself was up and gave evidence to the committee and I just want to ask about a public inquiry and to ensure that all the stakeholders that are relevant to that are included in that. Thank you. 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 you refer and have provided the details. I am aware of the case of the person that you have referred to, Deputy, and I understand the burden the situation has placed on him. This interagency group was convened in June of 2004 and comprised my department's laboratories, the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as CHUGUSC, the Health Service Executive and also Kilkenny County Council. Two separate investigations and a review were undertaken. The first of the investigation was led by my own department's veterinary laboratory service. Extensive field and laboratory investigations were undertaken on the farm. Laboratory results were provided to the herd owner on an ongoing basis and supports for a comprehensive herd health program were also provided. On the conclusion of the VLS investigation and as part of the IAG, the VLS reported its findings in June of 2006. This report was provided to the herd owner and his advisers at the time. Subsequently, on foot of a request by the herd owner and his advisers, UCD's veterinary basket laboratory manager, their centre for veterinary laboratory epidemiology orale Demi psicio was accepted developed to conduct further epidemiology за bottle of the fees of disease and assorted. Theng cavity were related to¿ data that�로 finaljam The Information Center for kindergarten and risk analysis was commissioned to conduct further epidemiological studies of problems on the farm. That report was completed in August 2009. This was provided to the herd owner and his advisers. The interagency group reviewed the findings of both medial heat to implementing a farm in August of 2010 and published its final report report in August 2010. This was also provided to the head owner and his advisers. Both investigation reports and the report of the interagency group refer to detail all of the comprehensive studies of animal health and environmental health parameters undertaken on the 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 wants to access them. Minister, with all due respect, that is a history of the situation as to where we are now, but certainly a lot more needs to be done. For anyone that is unaware of this case or situation, when I first heard about it, it reminded me of the movie Erin Brockovich, or that other movie that was written based on the company Tefl. This man, who is an excellent farmer, was basically told time and time again by the state, which includes the Department of Agriculture, that he basically wasn't up to standard as a farmer. He had been saying all along it was to do with a premises industry that was in operation right next to his farm and the contamination of his land. It turns out he was correct about that, because when the company closed up, within two years everything went back to exactly as it should be on the farm. He was correct and he was made basically to feel, I am sure, at times that he was going crazy, he was ridiculed, he was totally and utterly let down, and that is an understatement. There needs to be an inquiry now with all the stakeholders, because there needs to be accountability. It is not good enough for people to say that they are sorry to Dan Brennan and his family, and that they understand that there was a burden and they understand how difficult it was. We actually need to see accountability. People who were telling him for years that he was wrong, that he actually in fact was correct, and what is going to happen now, and what compensation or what is going to come of this. Thank you. The reason I outlined the background to the case and the various assessments and investigations of the police is to outline that this is something that has been looked at in great detail, and indeed the investigations through the interagency group completed as far back as 2010. This has been an issue and under consideration for a very long time now, and indeed there had been very significant investigation and assessment carried out, and indeed reported to the farmer and his advisers. That is the backdrop to it, Deputy Funcion, and that is why I have outlined it. All of those reports and that report is available for public assessment and for public viewing as well. There is not any proposal to reopen it. I think there have been a very thorough assessment of the time in that account. What is the idea, sir? Well, I can say, when we start case of fact, is that it is definitely not going to be acceptable to Dan Brennan and to the other farmers in the area. They were here last week at the Committee. There was great support for Dan, with his family, his wife was there, and also other farmers in the locality and the local IFA, and certainly the Agricultural Committee – I am not a member, but I attended last week – were very much of the one voice in relation to this issue as a cross-party committee, it includes government representatives as well as opposition and the sense I certainly got from that committee was that there was an appetite for a public inquiry into this situation. We can't allow a situation where there is no accountability. It happens so often in this state and the one point I made at the committee last week was that any investigation that does take place needs to have really good, strong, robust and strict terms of references that will allow for accountability but I mean this man has been, like to say he's been failed is, I'm trying to think of the correct language that you can use in this parliament but I mean it's an understatement to say he's been failed and there certainly needs to be a lot more done about it and I can say that I don't think that this will be the end of it. I'm actually shocked to hear that the Department of Agriculture think that that's just it but it certainly won't be from our point of view and from people in the area. Thank you. I've outlined the comprehensive assessments and investigations and work that was undertaken by the Interagency Group which completed its work and published this report in 2010. I welcome the fact that the Arachnitz Agriculture Committee has considered this in recent times. Certainly any report from that that they wish to forward to me with their views and perspectives in relation to the hearing that they had I certainly will I look forward to receiving that and considering it but I've outlined today the very comprehensive and in-depth reports and assessment that have taken back over 12 years ago completed over 12 years ago now but certainly in relation to the agriculture committee's report they always keep me up to speed with the work that they have undertaken and I certainly will review any submission I received from them. Thank you.