The Public Offices Commission has said that it will carry out an investigation to determine if Junior Agriculture Minister, Ned O'Keeffe, breached Oireachtas rules in relation to his family-owned pig farm in North Cork. The Commission said that the purpose of the investigation is to establish the facts of the matter, and added that the decision to carry out an investigation is not to be construed as meaning that the Minister of State has contravened a provision of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995.
Ned O'Keeffe has been in hot water since before Christmas when it was revealed that pigs on his farm were being fed meat and bone meal. This kind of animal feed is being blamed for the spread of BSE. However, feeding this meal to pigs was not outlawed until recently and the Minister's family farm near Mitchelstown was one of a few licensed to manufacture the meal. Last week it was also claimed that he abused his position as Minister by complaining to the Environmental Protection Agency about a neighbour over the spreading of slurry. The complaint was groundless, but Mr O'Keeffe says that he was acting on complaints from others and did nothing wrong.
Tonight, the Public Offices Commission decided to carry out a full investigation. This group includes the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil, the Ombudsman, and the Comptroller and Auditor General. This Commission supervises compliance with the Ethics in Public Office Act. They are now examining if Mr O'Keeffe has questions to answer about a Dáil debate last November on meat and bone meal, and if he declared his interest in his family business.
However, Mr O'Keeffe has argued that he had no day-to-day involvement in the business, and that he was not in breach of the Ethics Act because his family's mill had been listed by him in the Register of Dáil Members interests. The Government is said to be "very seriously concerned" by the decision. Last week, the Taoiseach on a number of occasions declined to defend Mr O'Keeffe. But Mr Ahern has been under pressure to move Mr O'Keeffe, and he may yet decide to take action.
