A Prime Time programme broadcast on RTE television on January 30th this year triggered the behind-the-scenes row between the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, and the chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), Dr Patrick Wall.
Mr Walsh was interviewed following a pre-recorded insert in which Dr Wall spoke of the public's confusion about the purpose of the "purchase for destruction" (PFD) scheme. Almost 135,000 cattle have been destroyed under the scheme.
Mr Walsh subsequently wrote to the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, who has responsibility for the FSAI, and the chairman of the FSAI, Dr Danny O'Hare. Dr O'Hare replied in detail to Mr Walsh.
The exchange of correspondence has been released to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act.
Below is a copy of the correspondence:
The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, wrote to the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, on January 31st:
Mr Micheal Martin TD,Minister for Health and Children, Hawkins House, Hawkins Street, Dublin 2
31 January, 2001
Dear Micheal,
You may be aware that the subject of BSE featured on last evening's Prime Time on RTE. I was interviewed on the programme following a prerecorded film piece in which the Chief Executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland claimed that the public was misled by my Department about the purpose of the purchase for destruction scheme. I regard this claim as extremely serious and a complete falsehood.
I am enclosing copies of press releases which I issued prior to the introduction of the scheme. These press releases made it abundantly clear that the scheme was introduced as a market support measure and was not, as stated by Dr Wall, "promoted as a BSE control". I should also point out that I explained the purpose of the measure in detail in the Dail on 12 December (copy of extract of Dail record enclosed).
The repeated assertion by Dr Wall that there was an attempt to mislead the public flies totally in the face of the facts and I simply find it unacceptable. BSE is a serious and important matter and the public deserves to be accurately and objectively informed at all times. The unjustified comments by Dr Wall last evening had precisely the opposite effect as well as undermining my credibility and that of my Department.
I expect that you will immediately bring this serious matter to the attention of the Food Safety Authority. In the interests of clarity and fairness and in view of the central role played by the FSAI, I believe that the authority should now publicly correct the position.
Yours sincerely Joe Walsh TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
Mr Walsh wrote to the chairman of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Dr Danny O'Hare, on February 1st:
Mr Danny O'Hare, Chairman, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Abbey Court, Lr Abbey Court, Dublin 1
1 February, 2001
Dear Chairman,
I refer to the claims made by the Chief Executive of the FSAI on Tuesday's RTE Prime Time programme that the public were misled on the purchase of destruction scheme. I have already conveyed my concern to the Minister for Health and Children.
It is very unfortunate that this incident has taken place at a time when the attention of my Department and all other agencies involved should be focused on dealing, in a calm and rational manner, with the very serious BSE problem and its consequences. I would have to say that consumer confidence about BSE control measures was not helped either by inaccurate comments of a member of the FSAI board broadcast on the RTE news on Friday, 26 January, 2001.
My statement on the record of this Dail in December and press releases which I issued prior to the introduction of the purchase for destruction scheme left no doubt that this was a market support measure and was pro- posed by the European Commission and adopted by the Council of Ministers as such. I therefore regard the assertion made by Dr Wall as extremely serious. I would suggest much of the confusion in the public mind may well have resulted from debate generated linking the control of BSE and the destruct scheme. I cannot accept any suggestion that there was an attempt to mislead by either myself or my Department or that the scheme was promoted as a BSE control measure.
In the interests of clarity and fairness and in view of the central role played by the FSAI, I believe that the authority should now publicly correct the position.
Yours sincerely
Joe Walsh TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
Dr O'Hare replied to Mr Walsh on February 7th:
Mr Joe Walsh TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2
7 February 2001
Dear Minister,
Thank you for your letter of 1 February 2001 about our Chief Executive's comments on RTE's Prime Time programme of 30 January last on the purchase for destruction (PFD) scheme.
I have discussed in some detail with Dr Wall the points you raised in your letter. It was also considered at our board meeting yesterday.
Dr Wall has asked me to assure you that, unequivocally, he does not believe that either you or your Department deliberately attempted to mislead the public in connection with the PFD scheme. While he did not make this contention on the RTE programme in question, he accepts that the thrust of his comments may have been open to misinterpretation. Accordingly, he would greatly regret it if such comments caused you personal embarrassment or damaged the working relationships between your Department and the FSAI.
Part of the problem arose from the fact that Dr Wall's prerecorded interview of about 10 minutes was edited selectively for the purposes of the programme. This accords with normal journalistic practice and there was nothing untoward in it. As a result, however, his replies to some questions were juxtapositioned and did not in all cases reflect the sequence and context in which these questions were asked.
Dr Wall's essential point in his interview was that the public needs to be accurately and objectively informed about the BSE issue and that any confusion in the public's mind about the relationship between the PFD scheme and BSE should be removed. This accords with your own views as expressed in your letter of 31 January, a copy of which has been sent to us, to the Minister for Health and Children on this matter.
It is clear that there was considerable public confusion about the purposes of the PFD scheme. There seems to have been a strong public perception that its primary purpose was to eradicate BSE. The board of the FSAI believe that, inadvertently, press releases issued by your Department in connection with the scheme may have contributed to this incorrect perception. While these press releases did make it clear that the scheme was a market support measure they also indicated, for example, that actions agreed at EU level, which had led to the emergence of the scheme, had been negotiated in the context of BSE-related difficulties and were designed to restore consumer confidence in beef.
I do very much appreciate the position you found yourself in the RTE interview but I hope you accept the explanation of the position as outlined. In the circumstances, I believe that a public statement by the FSAI on this matter would be unhelpful to either of our organisations. It could lead to inaccurate public perceptions about the nature of our relationship which, in general, has worked very well in advancing the food safety agenda.
In discharging our independent statutory role with the various organisations involved in food safety, we very much value our relationship with your Department in helping to improve consumer protection in this area. We intend to pursue and develop this relationship within the respective remits of our two organisations. Dr Wall, who has the full confidence of the board and who has been doing an outstanding job since his appointment, will continue to lead matters on our side.
When you have considered this letter, I would be very glad to discuss with you the issues covered by it.
The comments made by the FSAI board member on the RTE news of 26 January 2001 reflected his own strongly held personal views. The board of the FSAI agreed at its meeting of 6 February that, in accordance with normal practice in both the public and private sectors, it would be made clear, when significant and important public statements by board members were being made, that these were being expressed in a personal capacity where that was the case.
I am sending a copy of our correspondence to the Minister for Health and Children.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Daniel O'Hare, Chairman
Mr Walsh wrote again to Dr O'Hare on February 15th:
Dr Daniel O'Hare, Chairman, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Abbey Court, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1
15 February, 2001
Dear Chairman,
Thank you for your letter of 7 February. I have noted the points which you have made and I will of course be glad to discuss the matter with you.
I am, however, more than a little perplexed that the board of FSAI believe that press releases issued by my Department contributed to an incorrect perception. The press releases and my Dail statement reflected accurately the fact that the Agriculture Council adopted measures designed both to restore consumer confidence and to support the market.
There is a testing requirement for animals over 30 months destined for the commercial market (additional consumer protection measure) or destruction for surplus cattle which cannot be marketed (market support measure). The actions agreed at EU level therefore contained consumer protection elements, such as the testing requirement and the temporary ban on meat and bone meal use, and market support elements, such as the destruction measure and more flexible intervention.
I have noted the point about selective editing of Dr Wall's interview.
We share a common objective in ensuring safe food for consumers and I would be glad to discuss the matter further to avoid any misunderstandings. I have asked my Private Secretary to make arrangements for a meeting.
Yours sincerely, Joe Walsh TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development