Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 15 Nov 1994

Vol. 447 No. 1

Ceisteanna—Questions. Written Answers. - Alteration of Documents.

Desmond J. O'Malley

Question:

248 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the date in June 1992, on which counsel for the State drew the attention of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Beef Industry to the amendment of the CBF document which had stated, before it was altered, that Iraqi contracts were largely filled by intervention beef; and the reason the attention of the Minister for Industry and Commerce was not, at that time, drawn to this alteration and to the statement that had been made by CBF. [3502/94]

Desmond J. O'Malley

Question:

249 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry with reference to his reply to Parliamentary Question Nos. 1 and 3 of 3 November 1994, wherein he stated that only two officers were immediately aware of the amendment in the CBF document, the number of officers in his Department who subsequently became aware of the alteration; and the number of officers in his Department who were aware in the years 1988, 1989 and 1990 that export contracts to Iraq were being substantially filled by intervention beef in view of the finding in the report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Beef Industry that his Department was at all relevant times so aware. [3503/94]

Desmond J. O'Malley

Question:

250 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry with reference to his reply to supplementaries to Parliamentary Question Nos. 1 and 3 of 3 November 1994, if he has any knowledge of the alteration of any official documents before he became Minister; if he has knowledge of the alteration within his Department of documents relating to the Emerald Meats case while he was Minister for State; and whether he has drawn the attention of the Attorney General to such alteration. [3504/94]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. J. Walsh)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 248, 249 and 250 together.

The alteration of the CBF document was the subject of a submission by counsel for the State to the Tribunal at the hearing on 24 June 1992. It was also brought to the attention of the Tribunal on the previous day. At that stage the alteration was public knowledge.

I have no reason to believe that any officers of my Department other than the two referred to in reply to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 1 and 3 of 3 November 1994 were aware of the matter until it was brought to light at the Tribunal.

It is not possible to establish at this stage how many officers of my Department were aware of the use of intervention beef to fill the Iraqi contracts in years 1988 to 1990. The reply to Parliamentary Question No. 141 of 3 November 1994 sets out the position of my Department in regard to this matter.

With reference to Question No. 250 I have had no knowledge of the alteration of any official document either before I became Minister or since. My Department has been aware of the following alterations of official documents, both of which relate to the GATT beef import scheme: the dates of issue and expiry of a 1989 GATT import licence were altered at some time between the actual date of its issue by my Department and its return to my Department; furthermore the original of this import licence bears endorsements which differ from endorsements on a copy of that licence found on a company's file discovered for the purpose of the case in the High Court of Emerald Meats Ltd. and the Minister for Agriculture, and others.

These alterations came to light during the High Court case the outcome of which is the subject of an appeal to be heard by the Supreme Court on 30 November 1994. The referral of these matters to the appropriate authorities will be considered in the light of the outcome of the legal proceedings.

In the case of an application for a 1991 GATT import licence, the applicant was allowed by my Department to make an addition to the application after its submission to the effect that the applicant had not submitted an application in any other Member State and that the country of origin was Australia, both points of information having been omitted from the original.