Minister Simon Coveney has clarified that the decision to effectively stand down the SIU, replacing it with a more accountable and integrated structure, was made back in early July, and not shaped by recent case outcomes.

In a comprehensive response to a parliamentary question from Willie Penrose, the Minister said that contrary to media speculation, no compensation payment was made to John Fleury, with whom the Department recently settled a 15-year case. He added that the Department’s costs “will be a small fraction of the exaggerated figure mentioned”.

The Minister also said the settlement was only agreed following an approach from Mr Fleury’s legal team. He highlighted the fact that the Department had secured a conviction against GVM exports, the company Mr Fleury held 50% ownership in and was a director of. The conviction was secured back in 2001 “in respect of offences detected in the course of this investigation”.

The case originated back in 1999. Minister Coveney said that it had been delayed “largely due to challenges to the prosecutions initiated by Mr Fleury, some of which were the subject of Supreme Court rulings, the most recent in December 2013.

The Minister also gave detail of another recent high-profile case, involving Cavan farmer Douglas Fannin. The trial judge indicated that Mr Fannin be acquitted and “criticised the prosecution and the Department in particular”, the Minister said.

“The key factor in concluding that trial appears to relate to confusion concerning the presentation of certain evidence, whether or not a Brucellosis test had been carried out at the time of the TB test in March 2009, and the significance of this”.

An internal review found “no evidence that Department staff sought in any way to mislead the Court – a most serious inference carried in some commentary on the subject”.

A number of recommendations were made following the review, with regard to staff training, file preparation and to review current procedures of making available biological sample evidence to the defence.

Full parliamentary question response on SIU

See farmersjournal.ie from Thursday morning for full parliamentary question transcript.