Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

Notwithstanding the enormous economic impact of the crisis in which we are currently engulfed, it is important to emphasise that it is, first and foremost, a public health issue and, thus, an issue of consumer confidence. As a lay person, I am reassured by the comments I have heard from eminent scientists, including the former chief executive of the FSAI, Dr. Patrick Wall, deputy chief executive officer of the FSAI, Mr. Alan Reilly, and Mr. Houlihan, the CMO at the Department of Health and Children. That reassurance is important to the public because therein lie the foundations on which we can rebuild confidence in the industry. Through that, we can rebuild the markets which are undoubtedly closing to us as this crisis evolves.

In the context of that expert advice, it is important that we do not hide our light under a bushel. The State, whether through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Department of Health and Children, the FSAI or a combination of all three, should be proactive in taking out radio and television advertisements and public press notices in an effort to reassure the public that the Irish food industry is open for business and that our products are safe. This is critical to the task of re-establishing confidence, which, in turn, is critical to the re-establishment of the pork market, of which the domestic market is a significant element.

It is inadequate merely to extrapolate from the Belgian experience and conclude, on that basis, that all is well for the Irish consumer. It is important that we have quantitative research so that we can reassure the public on that basis. Available advice indicates that it should be possible to get that quantitative research into the public domain within a short period of time and thus further add to the incremental process of confidence rebuilding that is imperative if we are to come out of this difficult economic situation.

Those who are part of the pig industry in its broadest sense, whether primary producers, processors and their many employees or those affected by the ripple effect into other food sectors, are innocent victims of this development. While a plant in County Carlow may be the source of contamination that has brought the pig industry to its knees, it is patently obvious that the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, through its failure to monitor adequately this premises, has led us to this situation. It beggars belief that such a facility can, in the words of the Department, be considered "low risk" when the food chain was central to our last major food scare in the 1990s, after which a range of new regulations was introduced in 1996.

I am not interested in a blame game between the Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. Neither are producers and consumers. What they want is accountability in respect of the systems failure that gave rise to the situation in which we find ourselves.

These new regulations, coupled with previous global incidents of contamination in the food chain with PCBs, namely, the Brazilian citrus pulp crisis and the Belgian crisis of 1999, clearly point to a systems failure in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It only adds to the abject failure within the Department to state that even if this facility had been subject to greater scrutiny by the Department the appropriate test for dioxin in the food product would not have been conducted because the cost of dioxin tests is in excess of €1,000 each. It should be pointed out that no scrutiny of this facility had taken place in 2008 and there was only one visit in each of the years 2007 and 2006, notwithstanding the lessons we should have learned from the Belgian crisis and the BSE crisis about the importance of the food chain. Considering the enormous cost the State is now facing that is small change. I am conscious that the meaning of "small change" was determined on the Government benches by the Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey's, reference to the €50 million cost of the e-voting machines.

The failure to detect this problem at source is compounded by the Department's subsequent failure to detect the problem on the individual farms that were supplied by this facility. These farmers are innocent victims but the farms are licensed by the Department as they need a licence to blend their own compound feed. There is a double layer of failure in the Department on this issue. I appreciate that detailed investigations are ongoing but the bodies charged with regulatory and enforcement responsibility, including the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, must answer for how a product such as PCB oils, which has been banned from production since the mid-1970s, has turned up with such devastating consequences for the Irish food industry.

Farmers in all sectors, including the pig sector, have invested enormous amounts of time and money in a traceability system that has been shown not to work in the pig sector. Otherwise, why should there be a 100% recall of product for a 10% incidence of contamination? What will be the Minister's sales pitch now to farmers across all sectors who still invest in traceability?

I note the recent announcement of the confirmation of PCBs in the beef sector. Farmers were sold the idea that if there was a crisis in the food sector, traceability would ensure it would be possible to recall, selectively, the product that is contaminated. Clearly, there is a system failure in the traceability system which will exercise the minds of the Minister and his senior officials in the days to come.

To say farmers are angry about this systems failure is a gross understatement. They are subject to the most stringent multiple unannounced inspections regime. They may not like it but they have worked with it on the basis that it safeguarded their livelihoods. Their sense of betrayal and anger is palpable. As an individual pig farmer said to me over the weekend, "This will not only finish my business, it will take my family home". The pig sector is a capital intensive enterprise operating at minimum margins and has only been in profit for four of the last 18 months. As a result of the systems failure in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, these farmers, their processors and thousands of ordinary working people face the prospect of the dole queue.

Given the recent announcement by the Minister that PCBs above the legislative limits have been confirmed in the beef sector, the decision not to recall product raises serious questions about the proportionality of the response in the pig sector. Since last Saturday, notwithstanding the decision to recall 100% of product, officials from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the Department of Health and Children and others have been at pains to reassure those who have consumed pork products that there are no negative health consequences. If that is the case, and given the decision not to recall beef products, which I support, because we are led to believe traceability is operative from farm to fork, I believe the Minister has questions to answer about his response in the pig sector. I hope there will be an opportunity to tease this out in greater detail in subsequent questions to the Minister.

The damage to our €9.2 billion food industry — accounting for 9.7% of exports and 8% of employment — and to consumer confidence at home and abroad is very significant. Any analysis of the international news spin on this issue makes clear how our competitors will use this against us. Against this background and following the budget, Bord Bia faces an 8% cut in funding. In addition, it is being asked to take on the marketing duties originally carried out by Bord Iascaigh Mhara. Time is of the essence when dealing with this issue so I am anxious to hear from the Minister, before the end of this week, if not today, details of an additional funding arrangement for Bord Bia so it can immediately begin the fight back to reclaim markets that have been closed and operations to restore confidence both at home and abroad. As I said earlier, the home market for the pork industry is very significant.

In addition, a major political and diplomatic initiative will be required, in terms of contacts at the highest levels, including ambassadorial, ministerial and heads of state, in respect of the lucrative markets that have already been closed to us. In the coming hours, intensive diplomatic manoeuvring and negotiating will also be required at EU level to ensure that market remains open to our products.

This marketing initiative is of course predicated on the processors getting back into business. I listened in anticipation last night for a conclusive statement that the Government had agreed a package with the industry that would enable it to get up and running today. Now the Taoiseach is talking about negotiations in Europe about a framework. The Minister is aware from experience in his constituency that animal welfare issues will quickly loom on individual pig farms. Pigs that were due to be slaughtered today were to be replaced in the units by store pigs, which were moving along the conveyor chain. Indeed, sows that are farrowing today are due to have their piglets moved up the line. Pig production is a continuous conveyor belt.

We need joined-up thinking. What is required is diplomatic and political action and a marketing initiative from Bord Bia. However, that will be useless if the processors are not back in business. The Taoiseach's remarks about seeking funding from Europe on this issue had all the hallmarks of a kick to touch. I wish him the best but this industry has been waiting for days to start processing, when so much hangs in the balance in respect of access to markets and employment. The processors and their employees from Cavan to Cork and all points between need to get back to work.

Another casualty in this situation is the organic and artisan food sector, which is dear to the Minister of State's heart. Farmers in that sector have had no contact with any of the product that has been contaminated but they are affected by the 100% recall of product. The proportionality of that recall is under question. Producers who had no access to or contact with contaminated product should be given immediate clearance from the Department's veterinary service to get on with their business.

A number of other issues were not addressed by the Minister. One is the appropriate manner for disposing of the enormous volume of product that will be returned to the processors. Yesterday, I called to a small artisan producer, whose cold room is already filled with produce that is now officially deemed to be waste. It is being stored side by side with product that is fit for the market. These processors are facing into the Christmas market and are desperate to get this product off their premises so they can get back to business as quickly as possible. How will that waste be dealt with appropriately? An extensive cull is required in the pig industry, covering all individual farms on which animals have been contaminated as a result of the contaminated feed. How will this cull be carried out? How will the animals be disposed of? Will incineration or rendering be used? The Minister did not provide information on this issue. To address this problem in a comprehensive manner he must close the significant information gap.

Lest Deputies forget, consumers also have rights. None of the Government's statements referred to consumers' entitlements to refunds. The initial advice given to consumers crystallised the absence of forethought and planning in the ministerial announcement on Saturday. The original advice was to dispose of all pork products. We now find, however, that consumers are entitled to a refund at the point of purchase. Consumer entitlements have been dealt with shoddily and treated as an afterthought. The disposal of the returned products and the manner in which the cull will be carried out are critical issues.

I assure the Minister and his Government colleagues that they will receive total co-operation from the Fine Gael Party in protecting the interests of the agrifood sector. We must also be assured, however, that in the days ahead the defects I have identified in respect of the Department's inspection regime will be remedied in order that we can have full confidence in its operation.

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