Susan O'Keeffe (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I know that the figures for Rangeland Foods only came out yesterday and appreciate the Minister may be unable to indicate the position. However, the company has stated the meat it imports is only used for exports. Had Silvercrest been asked six months ago, it would have stated it used Irish beef only. I wonder how much store we can put in such statements. What will the Minister put in place to establish that such a claim is, in fact, true? That is a serious concern.

I raised another query previously. I realise the Minister has stated he was not entirely clear on the labels used. However, I asked whether there was any evidence of meat having been frozen, thawed and re-frozen when it was being examined. I do not believe my related question was answered, but many questions were put.

What is the position in the United Kingdom plant which was also involved in the equine DNA case? What is the position of the Food Standards Agency in the United Kingdom? The Minister, kindly, showed us an 80:20 trim. Will he clarify exactly what this means, as the explanation passed me by?

What other meats should the Food Safety Authority of Ireland test for now? It is not a very nice question, but in the circumstances we ought to ask it. There has been no mention of mechanically recovered meat and its role in the burger meat case. I am unclear on whether this is because it has not been tested for or because it was simply not part of the conversation. What are the observations of the delegations on the tests available, if any, for mechanically recovered meat?