P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

It is with a degree of urgency that I rise to speak in the House to convey my disapproval at the manner in which the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is handling the very important agriculture and food industry here and in an EU context. We are talking about a beef industry worth in excess of €15 billion per annum, a pig industry worth €450 million per annum and a poultry industry worth €250 million per annum. Surely the Minister is not blind to the fact that those three industries are under serious threat from the imports of Brazilian beef into the European Union and the imports of chickens and pork from China, Thailand and other far Eastern locations. This practice must end and clear country of origin labelling is essential. It is no good for these outside products to be brought in by the back door, put through some machine here and called Irish food. That is codding the consumer, as the Minister of State, Deputy Sargent, knows. When he was in opposition he was vehement in this respect and cited his concerns and desires about it. However, apparently he is now rowing in with his Government colleagues.

The consumer must be assured that the product sold in our shops, supermarkets and giant superstores guarantees the country of origin on all food items displayed on their shelves or served in restaurants. In this day and age the poor form-filling Irish farmer is nearly required to declare the field on which his fat cattle produced for slaughter ate grass to accommodate the Department in its rules and regulations. These meat products are now being dumped on our consumers with no knowledge of the continent from which they came. Prior to our entry into the European Union we were advised that Irish agriculture would become the breadbasket of Europe. Instead we seem to be becoming the stewing pot of Europe.

This is happening because the Minister failed to impress on the European Union the need to stop the imports from Brazil and the far eastern countries of beef, pork and poultry products. Worse still the Minister is allowing them to be sold as Irish products. Furthermore, shops in my village of Goleen have been visited by inspectors to ascertain whether the shopkeeper has indicated the country of origin of oranges, apples, pears, bananas, cabbage, carrots and parsnips. However, the Government turns a blind eye to the back-door imports from third countries into Europe and this country. The Minister should cut out the codding for once and for all and ensure that we eat genuine Irish beef, pork and poultry.

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