Farmers not told of their legal rights

Some farmers were not being routinely informed of their right to legal counsel, when being investigated by the Department of Agriculture’s special investigation unit (SIU), according to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The unit was set up in the mid-1980s to provide specialist inspectors within the Department of Agriculture to investigate and deal with serious practices and problems in the use of illegal substances such as hormones and angel dust. Its scope was subsequently extended to include legislation relating to the TB and brucellosis eradication schemes, animal identification, and other animal health and welfare legislation. Its remit was also extended to investigations into potential fraud with regard to national and EU funds.

It was replaced by a new investigations division set up by the department last July.