Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)

It is obvious from the Minister of State's reply that he did not have the opportunity to read today's Irish Farmers Journal, which highlights deplorable standards and intolerable practices in Brazilian farming. A leading world expert on foot-and-mouth disease control, who works with the Brazilian authorities, writes that the current foot-and-mouth eradication scheme is doing more to spread the disease than eradicate it in Brazil. He adds that the current testing procedures in Brazil are wholly inadequate and unable to differentiate between animals that have been infected with foot-and-mouth disease and those which have been vaccinated. Is it not the case that, as this and the EU food and veterinary office report make clear, traceability is non-existent and the vast majority of cattle in Brazil do not have tags? The EU food and veterinary office seem to go to Brazil for a holiday rather than to produce a report that can be taken seriously by the European Commission. The last report was a damning indictment of what has been happening in Brazil and nothing has been done about it. Today's report is a damning indictment of what has been happening in Brazil and nothing has been done about it.

The McDonalds hamburger chain will not take beef from Brazil because it believes it is an accident waiting to happen. McDonalds is not prepared to take Brazilian beef but the European consumer must accept it, and with it the risk of the importation of foot-and-mouth disease.

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