The BBC reports that the High Court in Dublin has ordered the Northern Ireland based company, O’Neill Fuels Ltd, Coalisland, County Tyrone, to pay Millstream Power Recycling Ltd, Bunclody, County Wexford, €38.7million (£32m) damages as a result of the Irish pork dioxin contamination in 2008.
From the BBC report
Millstream supplied the pig meal containing dioxins that led to the recall of Irish pork products.
It was ordered after pig meal on a number of farms was found to have had between 80 and 200 times more dioxins than the recognised safety limit.
The oil that Millstream used had not been tested for dioxins such as polychlorinated biphenyls, (PCBs) because these had been banned in the 1970s, the company said.
O’Neill Fuels from Annaghmore Hill, Coalisland, had denied that any fuel supplied by it contained dioxins or PCBs.
In the High Court in Dublin, earlier this month, the judge struck out the case as O’Neill Fuels had not entered a defence.
Speaking after the damages were awarded, Millstream director Doreen Hogg said her family felt relieved that they had been vindicated.
Adds Some additional information from a 7 December Irish Times report
Millstream, Clohamon Mills, Bunclody, has claimed the PCBs were contained in oil purchased by it for use in the feed manufacturing process.
It has sued Gerard Tierney, Newtown Park Avenue, Blackrock, and his firm, Newtown Lodge Ltd, Fairview, Dublin, alleging they supplied it with defective oil which contaminated feed with dioxins.
Mr Tierney and Newtown have denied the oil supplied to Millstream was defective. Alternatively, they plead, if the oil was contaminated, it was not their fault as, they allege, it was supplied to them by O’Neill Fuels Ltd, Coalisland, Co Tyrone, which was joined as a third party to the case. O’Neill’s had denied any fuel it provided contained dioxins or PCBs.
Yesterday, Stephen Lanigan O’Keeffe, for Millstream, asked Mr Justice Kelly for an order striking out O’Neill’s defence on grounds of its failure to comply with discovery orders. Mr Justice Kelly said Millstream was entitled to such an order. The action will proceed against O’Neill’s on an undefended basis and damages will be assessed on December 21st.
The action against Mr Tierney and Newtown will proceed on March 15th.
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