By Joe McCann
AGRICULTURE Minister Andrew Muir has said he has received a death threat in the fallout which emerged from a controversial cattle cull on Co Tyrone.
The North Down MLA made the revelation during an emergency meeting in Stormont on Monday to discuss the shooting dead of 51 cattle on a farm near Fivemiletown by officials from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
The operation has faced criticism from farmers and political representatives some of whom held an impromptu rally outside Stormont at the same time as Mr Muir was facing members of the DAERA oversight committee.
Mr Muir stated his department were following court orders to cull the cattle after the conviction of a man for serious animal welfare offences, who was subsequently barred from the keeping of animals.
Criticism has centred on the decision of DAERA’s Humane Slaughter Team to shoot the animals in fields surrounding the farm rather than carry it out in yard or other enclosed space. Mr Muir has since ordered an external review into the circumstances surrounding the cull.
Mr Muir said in the meeting that his department had ‘no reasonable alternative’ but to carry out the cull on the site in order to comply with the court order.
The Alliance MLA said animals at the property had been ‘starving to death’ and the case followed numerous welfare inspections carried out by DAERA between January 2022 and January 2024.
He said: “The case arose from numerous welfare inspections carried out by DAERA staff between January 20, 2022 and January 30, 2024. During these inspections, conditions on the farm were very poor. The photos published included that of emaciated animals and shall never leave my mind.”
Describing the conditions on the property as ‘grotesque’ Mr Muir said the cattle’s feed had been contaminated with urine and dung and a large number of animals on the property were being caused unnecessary suffering. Mr Muir also stated the remains of 33 animal carcasses were also found on the site.
“The individual was rightly disqualified for life from keeping, owning and participating in the keeping of animals,” he said.
During the meeting Strangford MLA Michelle McIlveen criticised the department’s handling of thecase.
“As a consequence of this operation, your department has lost all credibility in the eyes of the public where animal welfare is concerned and that is really concerning to me and should be concerning to you,” said the DUP MLA.
“There is anger right across the farming community and the anger is coming from decent, hardworking farmers who are just trying to make a living from the land.
“What happened appears to be brutal, appears to be inhumane and ironically, what was meant to be an animal welfare intervention has become an animal welfare scandal at the hands of the department and that’s totally regrettable.”
Mr Muir stated he had now initiated an independent review into the operation but also revealed he had received a death threat and officials in his department had been subjected to a ‘wave of misogynistic, sectarian and homophobic hate, threats and intimidation’.
“The fact that I have now received a death threat is nothing short of a disgrace,” he said.
Mr Muir said the review would now take place and asked that calm prevail and urged people to moderate their language.
He said: “I want to reassure everyone that the professional judgement of officials in my department was very much that this was a last resort.
“I would urge calm and people to temper their language around this, because I’ve received threats and that someone wants me shot.
“So, we just need to lower the tone in this. We have a responsibility in our language.”
Speaking at a farmers protest this week, North Down DUP MLA Stephen Dunne said there was anger in the local farming community and he said farmers have had enough.
“I was proud to stand alongside thousands of farmers and rural dwellers today, including many from North Down, who have made it clear that they want answers and action from the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Minister,” he said.
“In recent weeks, we have seen the deeply concerning shooting of healthy cattle in Tyrone, which has raised serious questions around animal welfare and departmental decision-making.
“We have also seen the continued failure to get a grip on Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) which costs the Northern Ireland agricultural sector approximately £156m per year in total economic impact.”
