The report on animal health problems in the Askeaton area was one of the most comprehensive carried out in this country, the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, insisted yesterday.
Speaking to journalists before the official release of the report, Mr Walsh said it had taken six years to compile and was "extremely detailed". He dismissed suggestions of a conspiracy not to blame industries operating in the area. He could not believe that the agencies involved - the EPA, Teagasc, the health boards - would in any way distort the findings.
"All the State agencies involved in compiling the report had gone about their business in a very scientific manner and would not engage in distortion," he said.
Mr Walsh said the study had found there was no blame attached to industry in the area. "I believe the findings are credible. I cannot say farmers are to blame but I believe the report is credible and I accept the findings of the report," he said.
The deputy president of the Irish Farmers' Association, Mr John Dillon, who lives in Co Limerick, said enormous amounts of money had been wasted investigating farmers and not the true causes of the animal health problems in west Limerick.
"Farmers are justifiably angry at this report and its conclusions, which again conveniently scapegoat the farming community while absolving industry of any involvement in devastating animal health problems in the region," he said.
The report, he said, neither definitively identified the underlying causes of the serious animal health events that occurred nor did it make proper recommendations to safeguard agricultural production where heavy industrial activity was also taking place.
He said every sensible person in west Limerick knew something out of the ordinary was taking place but, he claimed, the protection of ordinary people was considered to be expendable in the interests of insulating major industrial plants from criticism.
The IFA, he said, would be seeking a proper scientific evaluation of the final report and its conclusion and would voice its dissatisfaction to Government, Mr Dillon added.
Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association president Mr Pat O'Rourke said that publication of the report did not close the issue. It was a very disappointing report which left a lot of questions unanswered.
Calling for a full and rigorous investigation, Mr O'Rourke said he was very dissatisfied with the outcome.
"The publication of this report and similar reports in the past demonstrates two clear issues as far as I am concerned. Firstly, a need for continuous and full independent monitoring of the environment and the full disclosure of this information to the local community.
"Secondly, the EPA, which has been given far-reaching powers and resources by the Government, lacks credibility in a number of important ways. This lack of credibility is a problem that must immediately be addressed by the EPA and in this regard, I believe that representation on the EPA needs to be addressed by the Government," he said.