Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

A tighter timeframe between the authorisation processes in the US and in Ireland would significantly reduce the possibility of unauthorised GM events and would make life easier for European pig producers. I understand consultations are taking place between the US and EU authorities on this matter. What is needed is that as much land as possible is used to grow crops both to help supplies for bio-fuels and to take the pressure off animal feed prices. It is anticipated that the current high prices for cereals will bring extra land into production both here and across the EU next year, thus increasing supply and giving respite to the animal feed sector.

With regard to the concern expressed about Brazilian beef imports, the deep resentment of the lighter regulatory regime in Brazil, is understandable. It might help if there were greater transparency and proper labelling of beef coming from Latin America. Last year I had occasion to eat in a restaurant in Berlin and the product was explicitly labelled as being Latin American beef. I wish people in this country would copy this practice and then consumers would at least know what they are buying. It is legitimate to keep pressing at European Union level for a level playing field.

We have all been made conscious of the misleading labelling that exists here, creating the impression that a product is made or sourced in Ireland when that may not be so. Work is ongoing on those regulations so as to make much more explicit where an animal is reared and which is the country of slaughter.

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