AN investigation into animal deaths at two Co Limerick farms and the lease and purchase of the properties has so far cost the taxpayer £1.3 million, the Dail Public Accounts Committee heard yesterday.
No cause has been identified for the substantial number of deaths and the inquiry being carried out by State agencies will not be concluded until the spring of 1998.
The decision to buy one of the farms and lease the other was taken by the Department of Agriculture because the loss of animals at the farms was "way out of the ordinary", said the Department Secretary, Mr Michael Dowling.
The abnormal number of deaths among livestock at the farms in Askeaton first emerged in April 1993. Post mortem examinations on some of the animals showed the cause of death as respiratory or bacterial, but the reason for the breakdown in the animals immune system could not be established, according to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
One farm was bought by the State and the other leased for at least a year to allow a major investigation to take place, coordinated by the Environmental Protection Agency.
A number of animals which had been transferred to another farm to be reared there had shown no major problems since. Animals moved from a farm in Co Dublin to one of the farms affected were "doing better, but had still experienced problems", said Mr Dowling.
No scientific reason had yet been established for the animal deaths and no foundation had been found for allegations of a high level of ill health among people living in the vicinity.
Mr Ned O'Keeffe (FF), said the Department's buy out of one of the farms was unprecedented and he strongly criticised the decision.
While there were suggestions that emissions from local industries may have caused the deaths, other causes should be looked into, including the procedures applied on the farms in question,
However, Mr Michael Finucane (FG), said he was aware of the background to the cases and praised the Department for its intervention.
Mr Dowling said that farm bought by the Department would be put in order and sold after the investigation.