Heather Humphreys says there was no interference by herself as a local TD in an animal cruelty case dropped five years ago.
Speaking on the Wider View today on Northern Sound she said that the Secretary General in his department is on the record at the public accounts committee saying that there was no representation in the particular case which concerned a Monaghan farmer.
Ms Humphreys confirmed she received a letter when she was a Cavan/Monaghan TD and it was passed on to the Department of Agriculture.
The Fine Gael Presidential candidate says no comment or any letter of support was ever given in this case. She says she simply forwarded on the correspondence.
Subsequently, the case was dropped in relation to the Monaghan farmer. Heather Humphreys says she absolutely despises animal cruelty.
"I was reared on a farm, as you know, I've lived on a farm all my life, and I absolutely abhor animal cruelty and really, as far as I'm concerned, if you can't look after your animals, well, then you shouldn't have them, It's as simple as that.
"Five years ago, a letter was sent to me as a local TD, by a constituent. I was not in a position, nor was it my role to investigate the concerns that were raised in the letter, It related to a Department of Agriculture matter. So my office sent the letter to the Department of Agriculture without any comment or any letter of support or anything like that and my office simply sent the letter."
