Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Of course there is an urgency to this, but it is also necessary to show a degree of calm and demonstrate the comprehensiveness of the Government's response as a means of bolstering confidence. We should not project beyond the scientific facts of the situation, because people will start to add two and two and get six, and that is not a good thing, particularly when one is talking about consumer confidence. I have been anxious, from the time this came before us for a decision, to establish the facts, take the relevant advice and decide the action to be taken based on that advice. That is what we have done throughout this process in order to ensure clarity and prevent a fog of confusion from building up around the matter. People often head off on tangents that lead them away from the central issue.

The central issue is that we have identified the source of the contamination and the units that received the feed. We have restricted those herds from going into the food chain. We then had to apply the precautionary principle with regard to the products that were already on the market. A product recall was carried out. Confirmation was given that there was no risk to public health. This was verified by the Food Safety Authority and the Department of Health and Children. People may take strong reassurance from all these facts, which have been communicated. Everyone, including the media, is to be thanked for the responsible way in which this matter was reported and communicated to the public, because this is important. I acknowledge that and I am grateful for it.

With regard to the cattle herds affected — the number is now 45, as has been explained by Mr. Rogan — it must be worked out from the database whether any of these cattle has gone from one herd to another. Mr. Rogan explained the reasoning behind this at the press conference. Again, there is an emphasis on a comprehensive approach and zero tolerance of any suggestion of contamination. The swiftness of these actions and the comprehensiveness of the approach has been recorded and responded to internationally, and this has won us support in places whose markets we wish to retain. These are important considerations. Had we not taken that approach, unilateral decisions would have been taken by individual EU member states and other states regarding the banning of pork products, with all the difficulties that would entail. Thus, markets remain open on the basis that we issued a product recall.

Deputy Gilmore also mentioned the need for urgency in getting the matter resolved on the processing side. We are now dealing with secondary processors and the risk analysis by the European Food Safety Authority. The authority will come to a conclusion on the matter either this evening or tomorrow and will, it is to be hoped, verify the safety of a range of products that are not yet on the market, but are in the process of going to market.

The issue of contingent liability is an important matter about which processors might be worried. This is one of the considerations being dealt with in the discussions. We are trying to put in place a scheme with three simple elements. These are first, the question of destroying those herds, either beef herds or pig herds, which have been contaminated. Second, dealing with the issue of secondary processing through the risk analysis procedure of the EU which will give immediate scientific clarification of a range of products which are regarded as being non-problematic, safe and marketable. This would be important in terms of third, ensuring we get to the position of restoring activity in processing plants, achieving the necessary throughput into the production line as pigs become available and ready for slaughter, and onto the shelves in a matter of days, very soon thereafter. These are the three areas of activity in which we are engaged.

I thank the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and colleagues and all the State employees. There has been a lot of talk in other contexts about the public service. I thank public servants for their expertise, for the clarity of the advice we are receiving and for their ability to implement those advices once the decisions have been taken by the requisite Ministers.

I have been engaged on this matter from last Saturday afternoon when the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, informed me about the situation on Friday evening coming back from Brussels. Since Saturday afternoon we have been on top of this situation to the greatest possible extent. I am also grateful to Members of the House who have shown reticence and responsibility in the interests of accurate information being made available to the public so that we can overcome this real challenge to important aspects of our food industry which employs many people, some of whom are personally known to me. I am anxious to restore that employment in those processing plants as soon as is possible and feasible. Those discussions are ongoing. I can assure the House that I regard this as a matter of the utmost urgency.

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