Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I watched the press conference just given by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. I was relieved to hear him state it will not be necessary to withdraw beef products based on the examination that been done of 11 of the herds that have been inspected. However, we still have a major problem with pork. I agree with the comments that have been made that the critical issue to all this now is consumer confidence. When I went to my local food market yesterday evening, the shelves where the rashers and sausages used to be were bare and there was a big black notice explaining why. As long as the pork products are not on the shelf, consumer confidence will continue to diminish.

Three things are critical and urgent. First, we need to get pork products back on the shelves again. Second, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food needs to make a clear statement that it is safe to purchase and consume pork again. Third, that statement needs to be backed up by a similar statement by the European Commissioner. Can the Taoiseach tell us when pork products will be back on the supermarket shelves? When will the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food be in a position to give the assurance to our domestic consumers and consumers abroad that Irish pork is safe to purchase and consume? There is not much point in having our diplomatic service and our food promotion agencies working night and day to promote Irish pork products if the pork products are not available to be purchased.

I remember the BSE crisis, which arose because of a problem with the foodstuff fed to cattle. I was a little surprised that this problem arose, again, from a problem with the foodstuff fed to livestock and which is, therefore, entering the food chain. I was doubly surprised to read that the feed plant at the centre of this issue had not been inspected for a year. Is it true no inspection was done on the Bunclody plant for a year? Even if it had been inspected by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the problem might not have been identified because the problem with the fuel does not come under the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, but is in the EPA's remit. Is there an inter-agency problem?

I was also surprised that a report in one of today's newspapers said the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food explained this on the grounds that it was low risk. We are about to pay a very high price for the low-risk approach that was being taken to the inspection of this foodstuff recycling plant. I would like some explanation of what inspections were carried out and if the results of the last inspections will be published or made available.

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