Kilkenny dairy farmer Dan Brennan has been “failed” and “blaggarded” by the State, according to several members of the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee.
Michael Fitzmaurice TD said that Brennan’s story, which saw major external environmental impacts on his farm go unaccounted for, was “probably one of the worst cases of people being failed by the State I’ve ever seen”.
Brennan travelled to Dublin on Wednesday evening to make a presentation to the committee, when he outlined his belief that his farm near Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, was impacted by emissions and contamination from the nearby Ormond Brick plant, owned by Cement Roadstone.
He was supported in the Oireachtas hearing by former Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) president Padraig Walshe, former Irish Farmers Journal editor Matt Dempsey and veterinary epidemiologist Jim Crilly.
Michael Fitzmaurice TD said Brennan has been failed by the State. \ David Ruffles
There was unanimous support from TDs and senators present for a full enquiry into what has happened on Brennan’s farm since 1990 and the State’s response to it.
The committee is set to discuss the matter further, with chair Jackie Cahill TD understood to be exploring how an inquiry might be conducted.
Justice needed
Minister of State for heritage and Kilkenny TD Malcolm Noonan said “justice needs to be sought” for Brennan and called on the agriculture committee to bring forward an inquiry which might deliver this.
Minister of State Malcolm Noonan said Dan Brennan needs justice for what happened on his farm. \ Claire Nash
His Kilkenny colleague, John McGuinness TD, called for an inquiry which seeks answers from “all players including the [brick] factory” and said that this is in the “interest of the State to learn where it made mistakes”.
Joe Flaherty TD insisted “there needs to be a full and detailed inquiry into what happened on your farm”, involving Kilkenny County Council, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture. He said that Ireland “failed you as a society and we failed you as a State”.
The policymakers’ strong comments came following hours of detailed testimony by Brennan and his associates on how his cattle stopped thriving, suffered high mortality and poor production on his farm.
Case
The case, first reported by the Irish Farmers Journal in 2006, saw the farmer have problems with very low milk yields, poor growth rates in stock and some defoliation in hedgerows.
Investigations were carried out by the Department of Agriculture in conjunction with the veterinary school in UCD, the regional veterinary laboratory in Kilkenny and the EPA.
Dan Brennan and a delegation including an epidemiologist and former IFA president Padraig Walshe presented to the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee this week.
Brennan brought the case to Europe, with the European Commission taking 10 years to return a box of paperwork which concluded very little.
Speaking on Wednesday, Brennan described how he was made to feel like the extreme health impacts seen in his cattle were down to his farm management, with the Department and UCD investigation initially concluding that the problems laid within the farm gate.
The Department of Agriculture is said to have invested some €600,000 in relation to the Brennan farm case, with John McGuinness TD stating it is “falling short” by not providing answers as to what actually happened.
In 2007, Cement Roadstone issued a statement denying any allegations of pollution at the plant. However, in December 2008, the brick factory in Castlecomer was closed permanently and in the years that followed, Brennan’s farm began to recover.
However, the farmer told the Oireachtas committee that the impact on his family and farm goes on and he continues to seek answers.
Read more
Dan Brennan’s farm recovers
Kilkenny dairy farmer Dan Brennan has been “failed” and “blaggarded” by the State, according to several members of the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee.
Michael Fitzmaurice TD said that Brennan’s story, which saw major external environmental impacts on his farm go unaccounted for, was “probably one of the worst cases of people being failed by the State I’ve ever seen”.
Brennan travelled to Dublin on Wednesday evening to make a presentation to the committee, when he outlined his belief that his farm near Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, was impacted by emissions and contamination from the nearby Ormond Brick plant, owned by Cement Roadstone.
He was supported in the Oireachtas hearing by former Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) president Padraig Walshe, former Irish Farmers Journal editor Matt Dempsey and veterinary epidemiologist Jim Crilly.
Michael Fitzmaurice TD said Brennan has been failed by the State. \ David Ruffles
There was unanimous support from TDs and senators present for a full enquiry into what has happened on Brennan’s farm since 1990 and the State’s response to it.
The committee is set to discuss the matter further, with chair Jackie Cahill TD understood to be exploring how an inquiry might be conducted.
Justice needed
Minister of State for heritage and Kilkenny TD Malcolm Noonan said “justice needs to be sought” for Brennan and called on the agriculture committee to bring forward an inquiry which might deliver this.
Minister of State Malcolm Noonan said Dan Brennan needs justice for what happened on his farm. \ Claire Nash
His Kilkenny colleague, John McGuinness TD, called for an inquiry which seeks answers from “all players including the [brick] factory” and said that this is in the “interest of the State to learn where it made mistakes”.
Joe Flaherty TD insisted “there needs to be a full and detailed inquiry into what happened on your farm”, involving Kilkenny County Council, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture. He said that Ireland “failed you as a society and we failed you as a State”.
The policymakers’ strong comments came following hours of detailed testimony by Brennan and his associates on how his cattle stopped thriving, suffered high mortality and poor production on his farm.
Case
The case, first reported by the Irish Farmers Journal in 2006, saw the farmer have problems with very low milk yields, poor growth rates in stock and some defoliation in hedgerows.
Investigations were carried out by the Department of Agriculture in conjunction with the veterinary school in UCD, the regional veterinary laboratory in Kilkenny and the EPA.
Dan Brennan and a delegation including an epidemiologist and former IFA president Padraig Walshe presented to the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee this week.
Brennan brought the case to Europe, with the European Commission taking 10 years to return a box of paperwork which concluded very little.
Speaking on Wednesday, Brennan described how he was made to feel like the extreme health impacts seen in his cattle were down to his farm management, with the Department and UCD investigation initially concluding that the problems laid within the farm gate.
The Department of Agriculture is said to have invested some €600,000 in relation to the Brennan farm case, with John McGuinness TD stating it is “falling short” by not providing answers as to what actually happened.
In 2007, Cement Roadstone issued a statement denying any allegations of pollution at the plant. However, in December 2008, the brick factory in Castlecomer was closed permanently and in the years that followed, Brennan’s farm began to recover.
However, the farmer told the Oireachtas committee that the impact on his family and farm goes on and he continues to seek answers.
Read more
Dan Brennan’s farm recovers
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