“Deeply disturbing” questions remain unanswered over the shooting of 51 cattle near Fivemiletown – despite a lengthy emergency session of Stormont’s Agriculture Committee – says Newry and Armagh DUP MLA Gareth Wilson
Mr Wilson, who sits on the committee and attended Monday’s special meeting, said the evidence heard from senior Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) officials would do little to reassure farmers in Newry and Armagh or across Northern Ireland.
The cattle were destroyed in a field outside Fivemiletown in June.
DAERA has said it was acting on a court order following the owner’s previous animal welfare conviction, and Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has maintained there was “no reasonable alternative” to on‑site euthanasia.
But Mr Wilson said the committee session “raised as many concerns as it answered”.
“Having listened carefully to DAERA’s explanation, I am far from satisfied,” he said.
“Officials were clear that a deprivation order, rather than a destruction order, was in place. That means the department had control of the animals – it did not compel their destruction.
“Yet 51 cattle, including heavily in‑calf cows, were shot in an open field, with gunfire heard and carcases reportedly visible to members of the public. For farmers watching this unfold, it looks like the very department tasked with upholding animal welfare has presided over an operation that many believe would have seen them prosecuted had they carried it out themselves.”
Mr Wilson said committee members repeatedly pressed officials on the chain of command and whether alternatives had been fully explored.
“Some very basic questions still haven’t been properly addressed,” he continued.
“Who ultimately authorised the method used to destroy these animals? What written veterinary advice was provided, and did it explicitly rule out removal to an abattoir or controlled facility? Were any welfare impact assessments carried out in advance? And at what point, if any, was the Minister directly briefed and asked to sign off on the approach?
“Those are not obscure technicalities – they go to the heart of accountability. Farmers and the wider public are entitled to know who made these decisions and why.”
The DUP MLA said that, although the Fivemiletown farm is outside his constituency, the fallout has been felt keenly across the Southern Trust and Armagh area.
“Farmers from Newry and Armagh have contacted me outraged and distressed by what they have heard and seen reported,” he said.
“They are expected to meet the highest standards of animal welfare every single day. They see DAERA turning up on a farm with firearms, carrying out a mass cull in a field, and then being told this was somehow the only option. That has badly shaken confidence in the department’s judgment.”
Mr Wilson said the committee would now be considering next steps, including further evidence sessions and the release of key documents.
“I will be pushing for full transparency – publication of the veterinary advice, the internal decision‑making trail and any risk assessments prepared in advance of this operation,” he said.
“If mistakes were made, they must be acknowledged. If guidance or legislation needs to change to prevent anything like this happening again, that work must start immediately.”
Call for Minister to ‘fully account’ for department’s actions
Mr Wilson stopped short of calling directly for Minister Muir’s resignation, but said the Alliance MLA now “has a serious case to answer”.
“The Minister cannot hide behind general statements,” he said.
“He needs to come before the Assembly and the farming community with clear, detailed answers: what did he know, when did he know it, what alternatives were put to him, and what direction, if any, did he give?
“Until those questions are properly and publicly addressed, this issue will not go away. Farmers deserve accountability and assurance that nothing like the Fivemiletown cull will be allowed to happen in this manner again.”
Mr Wilson added that he would continue to engage with local farming representatives in the days ahead, and urged anyone with concerns to contact his office.
