Union calls for review after 51 cows euthanised in Co Tyrone in view of public

An independent expert panel is being called for to review the controversial euthanization of 51 cows in County Tyrone, an incident that has drawn significant criticism. The livestock were put down by staff from Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) in a field visible to members of the public near Fivemiletown back in June.

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We have heard from members in every county and from every farming sector. They are asking how this could happen, the chain of events that led to the incident, whether it could have been prevented and, most importantly, how confidence can be restored.

The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has declared that the incident has "severely damaged" confidence in the department’s veterinary and enforcement procedures. UFU president John McLenaghan emphasized that farmers across all sectors and counties are questioning how this situation occurred, the chain of events leading to it, and whether it could have been prevented. He stressed the importance of restoring confidence, stating that the farming community will not regain trust if the department is seen to be investigating itself.

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The farming community will not regain confidence if the department is perceived to be investigating itself. This review must be demonstrably independent, transparent and robust. It must command the confidence of farmers and the wider public alike.

Stormont Minister of Agriculture Andrew Muir explained that the cull followed a court order after a man was convicted of offenses and permanently disqualified from keeping animals. Muir stated that the department gave the herd keeper three weeks to sell or dispose of his animals, but only a small number were divested. This left 51 cows on the land that had to be removed from the disqualified keeper. Muir added that the department was "unfortunately left with no reasonable alternative to comply with the court order, other than to euthanise the animals," noting that remote euthanasia was not possible in this specific case.

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The department was unfortunately left with no reasonable alternative to comply with the court order, other than to euthanise the animals.

Muir is scheduled to address the Daera scrutiny committee at Stormont on Monday regarding the incident. The UFU is urging that the upcoming review be "demonstrably independent, transparent and robust" to command the confidence of farmers and the public. They are also encouraging anyone with information about the events to come forward to aid the scrutiny. McLenaghan concluded by stating that Monday's committee meeting must be a "genuine examination" of what happened and why, demanding searching questions, complete transparency, and honest answers from Daera officials.

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While it is generally preferable for the animals to be removed from the premises and euthanised remotely, in certain circumstances, such as this case, it was the assessment of professional veterinary staff that this option was simply not possible.