The Department of Agriculture has investigated how a number of its personnel are accessing and using specific farmer information under the Animal Identification and Movement [AIM] database, the Irish Farmers Journal has learned.

As far back as March farmers had voiced concerns that factories were gaining access to the AIM system to monitor livestock numbers on individual farms. Farmers claimed that factories had information on the age of stock (especially those that were close to age limits), the number of stock farmers had, and in some cases where stock had been sold to competing processors.

While the Department of Agriculture has refused to comment on any specific cases or infringements, it did confirm that it “recently reviewed the management of the AIM system to ensure that there is no inappropriate access to information under the system”.

The AIM is a central database that records all animal births, movements and disposals in accordance with EU requirements. This database is a key constituent of the bovine traceability system which allows bovine animals to be traced from birth to their eventual slaughter, export or death.

Department officials have access to AIM, where necessary, for the conduct of their duties, but the Department maintains access is governed by strict security requirements.

Responding to questions from the Irish Farmers Journal, a Department spokesperson said: “Staff members who require access to AIM for official purposes are granted access to the system in compliance with a sign-on protocol. Each user is allocated a unique user ID by the Department’s Single Sign On System. Each user has their own user profile role that governs the degree of access that they have to the system and the actions that they can carry out on the system within their area of responsibility.”

Information relevant to the business transaction associated with the animals being presented at livestock marts, export points and slaughter plants is made available to staff in these organisations, with the specific approval of the Department and subject to security requirements.

“Such staff do not have access to individual herd profile details,” the spokesperson said.

IFA president Eddie Downey said Minister Coveney and the Department of Agriculture have assured the IFA that the AIM system is secure. However, Downey said farmers are still very concerned that their individual data on the Department’s AIM system has been accessible to processors and that the Minister must guarantee the absolute confidentiality of the system. Downey said nobody can have access other than with the farmer’s consent and it is the responsibility of the Department to ensure that the security of the AIM system is absolute.

Henry Burns, IFA livestock chair, is calling for a system similar to that of the marts to be used in factories.

“If you go to livestock mart, your animal is scanned in and the mart knows nothing of the rest of your herd, other than the animal is OK for sale. That’s the way it should be in the factories as well. Anything other than that is a breach of farmers’ private data,” said Burns.