PAC urged to reopen Askeaton case
The Cappagh Farmers Support Group (CFSG) claims €2.79 million spent on the €5.32 million Askeaton investigation has not been accounted for.
Locals believe cancer levels in Askeaton are running three times above the national average, and say hundreds of animals are still suffering from inexplicable diseases.
The Environment Protection Agency-led inquiry included contributions from the Department of Agriculture, the Mid-Western Health Board (MWHB) and Teagasc.
It was carried out over three years and found there was no link between industrial pollution and the health scares. These findings were published in August 2001.
The spending has already been examined by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), but the CFSG says it has uncovered new information.
The group wants PAC to get a full breakdown of the cash spent by the four state agencies.
“We are urging the PAC to look at this new information,” CFSG spokesperson Pat Geoghegan said.
“The people in our area need answers because we were seriously affected by the money spent.”
The call was yesterday backed by PAC member and Green Party TD Dan Boyle. “I think there are questions to be answered and the people on the ground have serious concerns,” he said.
However, Mr Boyle warned that any new spending investigation will be difficult.
“There are so many departments involved in this that it will require a lot of work. We would have to talk to accounting officers from four departments,” he said.
PAC examined the spending before the last general election and has refused to reopen the issue.
“It was looked at in detail in 2002 and I think that’s why there’s a reluctance among some longstanding members of the committee to examine it again,” Mr Boyle said.
The Green TD also urged Askeaton residents to continue raising the issue. “I think there is an onus on them to keep presenting the information as effectively as they can,” he said.
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