Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

I will share time with Deputy Willie Penrose.

I express solidarity with all pig producers in the organic and non-organic sector, craft butchers, processors and every worker who has been adversely affected by this crisis. Public health and consumer confidence must be restored immediately. This will be the indicator of the future viability of the pigmeat industry. Producers have been unfairly plunged into a crisis which is not of their making. Farms which purchased contaminated feed did so in good faith and on the basis that the product was licensed.

The pork industry is the fourth largest in the agriculture sector and is worth approximately €400 million per annum. I understand exports of pigmeat were worth €212 million in 2007. In that context, we must take cognisance of the fact that only ten of a possible 400 producers have been affected by contaminated feed. I understand the producers in question produce less than 10% of the overall kill. The minimal number of producers affected should help restore public confidence because if the figures I cite are correct, 90% of the pig kill is beyond reproach and scientific evidence will show that the risk to human health diminishes significantly.

We cannot underestimate the importance of the meat industry. Having listened carefully to the Taoiseach and Minister, I note that neither of them referred to a timeline for the return of pork to the shelves. I understood from the Taoiseach that the European Food Safety Authority must make this call from a scientific perspective. I call on the authority and European Commission to make allowance for the importance of the meat industry to this State. These institutions must act as soon as possible to ensure products are placed on the shelves again and public confidence restored. If the European Union will not provide a compensation package, at least Commissioner Kuneva and the EFSA should issue a statement within 24 to 48 hours indicating that production can commence again.

The true test of patriotism, if I may use that word, is to stand in solidarity on this issue. We should not use it to score political points off the Minister. We all know family farmers or workers in processing plants whose livelihoods depend on a viable pig and beef industry. At the same time, however, fundamental questions must be asked of the Department. I call on the Minister to act with greater urgency and to implore the European Commission to make a statement forthwith to enable the industry to start working again.

While the Government was correct to introduce a total recall of pork products, if the problem affected less than 10% of producers and 90% of pork products are thereby deemed to be safe and fit for human consumption, the Minister should have made a statement in the 24 to 48 hour period following the total recall indicating that production could recommence. He should clarify the reason this has not been done.

If the traceability system was working adequately and the one-step-up, one-step-back principle was being adhered to, it would have been possible to isolate the relevant producers and stop their production. This would have allowed other producers who never used this material to continue to provide product for the market. This issue must also be addressed.

The national feed inspection programme is a rigorous regime applied to all primary producers, whether pig or beef farmers. Everything which reaches the farm gate is subject to the most stringent inspection controls in the world. Why did the inspection process for feedstuffs fail in respect of the producer in question? The systems failure which occurred has significantly diminished the potential of the pig and pigmeat industry. The sector will take a long time to claw its way back to its previous position. I ask the Minister to address this issue.

We need to show solidarity with all the players in the industry. This is a national issue on which the Labour Party will support the Minister in every step of the process. Nevertheless, the problem must be handled with a greater sense of urgency.

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