Castlecomer farmer Dan Brennan, who was recently vindicated in a report published on mysterious happenings on his farm, is to take High Court action against the Ormonde Brick factory on the outskirts of the town.
On Wednesday next Mr Brennan is to return to Brussels with two vets and two scientific academics from the University of Limerick where they will speak with the Petitions Committee and the Commission about the Department of Agriculture report that was published this month on his farm.
Speaking to the Kilkenny Advertiser yesterday (Thursday ) Mr Brennnan said that he had no choice but to take High Court action at this stage against the Ormonde Brick factory as nothing conclusive had come out of the department report.
“It has been seven years since I began dealings with the department and they still have not come up with a satisfactory solution to the problems on my farm. They vindicated me alright which clears my reputation as a farmer but although they discovered the highest level of cadmium ever discovered in the world in an animal, on my farm, they still failed to come up with a reason as to why this is happening.”
Mr Brennan issued the legal proceedings on the company which is owned by CRH, for what he terms as the loss of earnings as a result of the manufacturing process that took place at the factory over almost 20 years.
His farm animals and vegetation suffered ill thrift and stunted growth throughout this period and Mr Brennan is pointing the finger at the brick factory which is in close proximity to his farm.
The brick factory vehemently denies any input into the incidents at the farm and CRH will defend the action to be taken by Mr Brennan.
“This action will not happen today or tomorrow and I might lose everything - but I have to take it. I have come this far. Nobody has come up with any answers to date and so I am going to have to get the answers myself through legal avenues. I am very disappointed at the department report. To me the answers are clearly written. My animals had the highest level of cadmium found in an animal in the world! The facts speak for themselves. They have said that the results got contaminated but I believe that they are just trying to muddy the waters. There are just too many coincidences.”
The High Court action will cost millions possibly and if he loses Dan may be liable for costs.
“At this stage there is nothing else I can do. My back is against the wall. I either walk away from it all now - 20 years later or I risk it. Because I am still left with the same problem.”
Ormonde Brick has since closed the plant in Castlecomer and since then, Mr Brennan says that he has noticed an improvement in older cows’ health, however he said the younger animals are badly affected because of their age.
“The cadmium literally starves them and they don’t absorb the goodness from their feed. This is why they are left stunted,” he explained.
He travels to Brussels on Wednesday where the European Commission will hear the results of the department report and discuss the options. It is within the rights of the European Commission to take the government to task for not doing its job.
