Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Naughten raised a number of important points. All of us were delighted to see some new butcher establishments open and we know the great service those traditional butchers continue to give. We want them to be in as competitive a position as possible in the supply of meat and other products.

At political level, through the Minister, Deputy Coughlan, and at senior chief veterinary officer level at the Standing Committee on Animal Health and the Food Chain, Ireland has argued strongly for an increase in the time limits. We have argued this consistently and strongly for some time. The matter has been raised by the Minister and by me with the Commissioner. It has been raised at Council of Ministers' meeting level and it has also been argued vigorously by the chief veterinary officer. The position is that we will continue to pursue that issue.

We have not been given an indicative timeframe for when the European Food Safety Authority is likely to issue a further recommendation, but it is an issue that we have consistently kept on the agenda of the Standing Committee on Animal Health and the Food Chain and of the Council of Ministers. We realise the issues involved on which we need to make progress.

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