THE Minister for Agriculture found himself at the centre of fresh political controversy last night after it emerged that he was not present at the signing of the contentious beef agreement with the Russians.
Mr Yates said on RTE's The Week in Politics programme at the weekend: "I did the deal with the Russians last Saturday week at 1 p.m. in the VIP lounge of Dublin Airport."
However, in reply to a parliamentary question yesterday from the Progressive Democrats TD, Mr Des O'Malley, the Minister confirmed that he was not present when the deal was concluded on October 12th.
A spokesman for the Minister said last night that Mr Yates's comment on television was "made in the heat of the moment". The Minister intended to say that he had "authorised the deal in Dublin Airport through his officials", he added.
The Assistant Secretary of his Department, Mr John Malone, and the Chief Veterinary Officer, Mr Colm Gaynor, signed the protocol which bans beef from Tipperary, Cork and Monaghan.
Mr Yates had mandated the officials to sign what was "a technical agreement" and had been in constant contact with them up to the time it was concluded. Mr Yates instructed them on Friday night not to agree to the Russian proposals. It is understood that the Russians were attempting to impose a seven county ban at that stage.
However, Mr Yates was last night strongly criticised for not being present to argue the Irish ease with the Russians. According to Mr O'Malley, the Minister had abandoned the negotiations and had "some neck" to suggest the gun was to his head.
"Any gun to the head was a very long range weapon indeed. I rather think the Russians must have been using one of their intercontinental ballistic missiles," he added.
As the political ramifications of the BSE crisis continued to grow yesterday, the chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), Mr Michael Bell, issued a statement criticising the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) and defending the Tanaiste, Mr Spring.
"The Irish Farmers' Association should stop scoring cheap political points and they must unite with the Government, consumers and beef processors in order to reopen key beef markets as soon as possible," Mr Bell said.
The difficulties now facing farmers were not caused by the Government and "recrimination and bickering from any quarter serves no purpose in resolving the BSE crisis".
Responding to claims by the IFA president, Mr John Donnelly, that the Tanaiste had not done enough about securing beef markets, Mr Bell said the farm leader was "ill serving his members by engaging in such needless and wasteful point scoring".
It should be noted that since the crisis first emerged Mr Spring had been "in direct contact with his counterparts in countries where the Irish beef is exported to," he added. The "attacks" by the IFA leader were unwarranted and misplaced.
The Dail debate on the predicament facing the beef industry is scheduled to continue for six hours today. Last night, during 90, minutes of Private Members' debate in the House, Fianna Fail accused the Minister of committing a "monumental blunder" in agreeing to Russia's ban on beef from Tipperary, Cork and Monaghan.
"I do not know if he had a gun to his head but he knifed the people of Monaghan in the back ... Why did the Minister run to the press and not notify the farmers first?" Dr Rory O'Hanlon, Fianna Fail TD for Cavan Monaghan, asked.