Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is important. There is clearly a market for horse meat there anyway. We have confirmed that there is an international dimension to this topic because Europol is involved. There is clearly a great deal going on, and there may also be many others involved. I am not comfortable with the idea that there is an internal investigation going on even if it is a unit within the Department. I do not like the sound of that, especially in the context of openness and transparency. There is an element of circling the wagons in any organisation and of protecting the institutions and the ethos that prevails. I call for an independent external investigation into these matters because one is needed. We need to instil confidence in the public at large, who are appalled and horrified by what has gone on. My message is that we should have an independent external review. It is, frankly, not good enough to have an internal review. That would not be tolerated in the Prison Service, the Department of Justice or any other Department. Many people would be bellyaching in the Dáil about internal or external reviews, but I do not hear a call for an external review. I am making a clear call. We need an external and independent review by experts who are competent in this area. I want to carry that forward. I do not know how comfortable the witnesses would be as part of an internal structure. Perhaps it is time the Minister comes back before the committee and we talk to him about the issue. Perhaps the investigation division of the Department needs to come before the committee so we can understand its work better. To what extent is the Food Safety Authority involved in all of this?