Letters are being sent to the Ceann Comhairle and an Oireachtas committee following a row in the Dáil centering on a TD being referred to as an organic farmer.
The Dáil had to be suspended twice during the debate on the Nature Restoration Law on Wednesday (May 31) after heated exchanges between the TD for Cork South-West, Michael Collins and the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Senator Pippa Hackett.
During the debate, Minister Hackett said that many farmers were “embracing and engaging in agri-environmental schemes, including Deputy Michael Collins who is an organic farmer, engaging in LIFE projects across the country.”
However, the TD took extreme objection to Minister Hackett’s reference to him as an organic farmer saying: ”the minister of state used my name inside in the Dáil on private information she must have got only from her husband. I am not an organic farmer.”
“She should check the records; I am not. The only way she knows this is that previously, when I was, her husband inspected my farm,” Collins said.
Minister Hackett rejected his allegations stating “how dare the deputy say that”. Deputy Collins asked for her to “correct the record of the Dáil”.
As the exchanges became more heated the Leas Ceann Comhairle, Catherine Connolly, appealed to Deputy Collins to “retake his seat” and then moved to suspend the Dáil.
When Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae, also intervened to “defend” his colleague, the Dáil was suspended for a second time.
Letters
Following the interaction, Minister Hackett said that she would be writing to Deputy Collins and the Ceann Comhairle, Seán Ó Fearghaíl seeking to have the TD’s comments “in relation to my husband and the organisation he works for” withdrawn.
“Deputy Collins has spoken at least four times on record about being an organic farmer – it is public knowledge.
“His antics in the Dáil, followed his colleague, [Kerry] Deputy Danny Healy Rae, who took issue with me being a minister at all.
“I seem to elicit a very personal response from them quite often in the chamber and it’s very unpleasant.”
“I won’t be shouted down by a group of men. I’ll continue to fight for farmers, for nature, for biodiversity and for rural Ireland,” Hackett added.
Deputy Michael Collins wrote to the Ceann Comhairle on Wednesday evening calling for Minister Hackett to correct the Dáil record.
The Rural Independent TD, who was previously an organic farmer, said that the comments could have implications in regards to his Standards in Public Office (SIPO) returns.
“She [Minister Hackett] can come out and deny or explain where she got the information, but all I’m saying to you is I had no choice in the matter when there was a false allegation made about me inside the Dáil to correct the record in the Dáil and I have asked the Ceann Comhairle that that will be done,” Collins told Agriland.
“I don’t get up and talk about Pippa Hackett and her husband or anybody else unless I’m put into a corner. I was put into a corner and I’d no choice in the matter.
“If she says she didn’t get that information I accept that and move on but I certainly do not accept her stating that I am deriving some income from a farm by saying I’m organic farming.
“I’m no longer in any farm activity so I derive no income from the farm and that has to be corrected,” he said.
“I have certainly never gone into the Dáil and personalised any attack on her. I do give out about the Green Party but she gives out about the Rural Independents, that’s the nature of politics,” Deputy Collins added.
Organic Trust
Meanwhile, the Organic Trust confirmed to Agriland that it has written to the Oireachtas Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight about the comments made by Deputy Collins.
Stephen Connolly, chief executive of the Organic Trust, said that they were “disappointed” and “surprised” by the “unwarranted statement” made by the TD.
He said that the integrity of one of the Organic Trust’s inspectors has been brought into dispute.
Connolly said that Deputy Collins had previously referred to himself as an organic farmer in the Dáil on several occasions.
The Organic Trust has called for the Dáil record to be corrected or for Deputy Collins to withdraw his remarks.
The organisation has also written to its members to reassure them that no private or confidential information is shared with third parties unless there is prior agreement with a member.