Fivemiletown cattle cull review exposes DAERA failures as calls grow for accountability

AN independent review into the controversial shooting of 51 cattle near Fivemiletown has identified significant failures within the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), prompting renewed calls for accountability over the planning and handling of the operation.

The review, led by Dr Martin Blake, found shortcomings in departmental planning, governance, operational procedures and record-keeping during the operation at the end of June.

Among its findings were the absence of a written policy for operations of this nature, inadequate risk assessment when the original plan was changed, cattle escaping onto a public road and carcasses being left in fields.

The review also found that ear tags had not been recorded, a site was declared clear when it was not, and an injured calf was discovered several days later. It was unable to establish why three animals were shot after a decision had been taken to pause the cull.

Records relating to the ammunition used and the number of bullets fired were also missing.

The findings have intensified criticism of DAERA and Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir, with local representatives and farming organisations questioning the Department’s decision-making, oversight and response to the incident.

South Down DUP MLA Diane Forsythe challenged Mr Muir over his handling of the matter, arguing that his response had failed to demonstrate sufficient reflection or respect towards the farming community and people in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.

She questioned why the Department had initially indicated that everything was in order, referring to correspondence sent to Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Deborah Erskine on 8 July.

Ms Forsythe also highlighted the 34-day gap between the incident on 29 and 30 June and the announcement of an independent review on 2 August.

She questioned whether a review would have taken place had photographs and videos of the operation not been shared publicly and called on the Minister to apologise to the affected community.

Ms Erskine, who raised concerns with the Minister the day after the cull, said the review confirmed what people in Fivemiletown had been highlighting since June.

She said the findings demonstrated that DAERA had got the operation badly wrong and that the community had been left waiting for the review before its concerns could be properly addressed.

Ms Erskine also criticised the Department’s handling of the impact on local people, arguing that ministerial correspondence had placed blame on members of the community rather than listening to their concerns.

She said frontline staff had been left exposed by failures in departmental leadership and called for an apology, appropriate sanctions and guarantees that an incident of this nature would not happen again.

Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart also criticised the review, describing it as comprehensive but arguing that it left some of the most important questions unanswered.

She questioned why DAERA decided that 51 cattle should be shot in open fields, who made that decision and what evidence was used to justify it.

Ms Lockhart said that while DAERA was required to enforce a court order, that did not automatically mean shooting the animals was the only available option.

She questioned whether potential buyers had been identified, whether phased removal had been considered and what other arrangements had been explored before the operation began.

She has called for the publication of assessments of alternative options, the documented decision to proceed with the shooting operation and briefings provided to the Minister.

Mr Muir has said he did not authorise or direct the operation. In his response following publication of the review, he said the events near Fivemiletown resulted from one of the most shocking and sustained cases of animal cruelty veterinary officials in the Department had dealt with.

He said the circumstances resulted in the lifetime disqualification of a keeper and a court-ordered deprivation order.

The Minister said that, although he had not authorised or directed the operation, he shared the genuine concerns expressed after seeing distressing photographs and videos of animal carcasses and learning of the allegations circulating at the time.

He said this was why he moved quickly to commission a full independent external review and thanked Dr Blake for his “thorough and professional approach”.

However, while the review concluded that the operation was lawful, appropriate and necessary from an animal welfare perspective, Mr Muir acknowledged that there were serious shortcomings in how it was planned and carried out.

He said the review made clear that operational shortcomings existed and that planning had given insufficient consideration to the human and community impact.

The Minister said all ten recommendations in the report had been accepted in full, with regular reporting and independent oversight to ensure improvements were implemented and sustained.

The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) said the findings nevertheless raised fundamental concerns about governance and accountability within DAERA.

UFU president John McLenaghan said the organisation had called from the outset for a thorough, transparent and independent examination of the decisions taken and the safeguards surrounding the operation.

He said the findings on planning, oversight, record-keeping, communications and the consideration of alternative approaches were deeply concerning.

Of particular concern was the finding that DAERA had failed to adequately satisfy the fair-balance element of its proportionality assessment.

Mr McLenaghan said the findings reflected concerns previously raised by the UFU, including the need for greater scrutiny of significant decisions, proper consideration of alternatives, clearer senior oversight and stronger safeguards for future enforcement operations.

He added that farmers were expected to meet rigorous standards of compliance and record-keeping and that the Department responsible for enforcing those standards should be held to the same expectations.

DAERA has published an action plan setting out delivery timelines, governance arrangements and oversight measures for the ten recommendations. Mr Muir has also committed to monitoring implementation and reporting on progress.

However, the UFU has stressed that accepting the recommendations is only the beginning, with meaningful reform and visible improvements required to rebuild confidence among farmers.

The union said the farming community would judge the Department on the changes it delivers rather than the commitments it makes on paper.