Sir, — I see that the Ombudsman has initiated a preliminary examination of a claim that the Department of the Marine withheld scientific information from the European Commission (“Complaint may reopen sea lice inquiry”, Home News, September 17th).
I trust that we will not be subjected to lice, damned lice and statistics over the coming weeks and months on radio and TV as we sit down to breakfast and other meals during the day. – Yours, etc,
PATRICK JUDGE,
Rochestown Avenue,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – I refer to Fintan O’ Toole’s article concerning the State’s protocols for the control of sea lice (“If you can’t win the scientific argument, suppress it”, Opinion & Analysis, September 16th). In relation to inquiries received from the European Commission referred to by Mr O’Toole in his article, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine forwarded all relevant material to the commission, including material supplied by Inland Fisheries Ireland.
In addition, the commission arranged for Inland Fisheries Ireland to make a direct oral presentation of its position at a meeting with the commission on December 19th, 2011, at which the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine was also present.
Following consideration of the scientific facts underpinning the State’s control protocols for the management of sea lice, the European Commission closed the case on October 11th, 2012. – Yours, etc,
MARTINA KEARNEY,
Press and Information
Officer,
Department of Agriculture,
Food and the Marine,
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.