Serious questions "remain unanswered" over a Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) enforcement operation in Tyrone, one of the North’s largest farming organisations said today (Monday, August 10).

Senior DAERA officials and the North's Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, today attended an emergency meeting of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (AERA) Committee.

The minister and officials gave a detailed account to members of the committee over DAERA's handling of the enforcement operation, during which 51 cattle were shot, on a farm near Fivemiletown.

The department previously said the operation had been carried out "to execute a Court Deprivation Order on a herd belonging to a disqualified keeper, in respect of animal welfare offences".

Minister Muir has already ordered an external review of the operation be carried out.

Minister Muir told the meeting today that he is "keenly aware of the public interest and concern of what has been reported about these developments and what is a deeply distressing and sensitive issue".

DAERA officials, Elsie McGarvey, senior principal veterinary officer and Gemma Daly, deputy chief veterinary officer, also set out the circumstances and the process that resulted in the cull in Tyrone during the three hour long committee meeting today.

DAERA

According to the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) there are many "differing accounts" of what happened during the enforcement operation.

The UFU said "many serious questions will remain unanswered including those around TB testing history and the use of firearms until an external review has been carried out".  

The organisation expects DAERA is expected to publish the Terms of Reference for an independent review by the end of this week, with the findings anticipated in early autumn.UFU president, John McLenaghan said, “It is disappointing that the Terms of Reference for the independent review were not issued ahead of today’s AERA Committee meeting, particularly given the urgency and seriousness of this incident. “Today’s AERA meeting has seen an unprecedented attendance both inside the committee room and outside and DAERA officials have addressed a number of the concerns surrounding the incident".

The UFU has encouraged anyone with "relevant information relating to the operation to ensure it is brought forward through the appropriate channels".

McLenaghan added: “This investigation represents a crucial test of DAERA’s credibility. Confidence in the department has been significantly damaged and restoring it will require complete transparency, full disclosure of the facts and decisive action where mistakes have been made. Anything less risks further undermining trust across the agricultural sector and wider rural community. "While there is a significant level of anxiety within the farming community, the UFU is clear that there is no justification for abuse of officials and public representatives.“We must be very clear that the threats and abuse directed towards officials and political representatives following this incident are completely deplorable and are not reflective of the agricultural industry as a whole".