Professor Alan Reilly:

The Minister's officials were informed that the investigation was ongoing but were told not to do anything because nothing needed to be done. We could have said we were investigating a problem, but what would have happened if the problem had turned out to be nothing? One of the things the Food Safety Authority has to do is advise Ministers. We are not going to go in with a cock-and-bull story that sends a Minister off on a wild goose chase. We are going to get sound scientific evidence before we lay the information before a Minister.