Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I wish to return to the problem arising from the total recall of bacon products which has become an unmitigated disaster. Pig farmers and processors are not to blame for this crisis. It has happened because an illegal substance found its way into the human food chain from a facility licensed by the State. The Government decided on Saturday on a total recall of product. There is no back-up plan to give effect to that decision. When an emergency plan kicks in for a local authority the various State agencies know what they must do.

In this case processors are not back at work, 6,000 workers are on protective notice and housewives all over the country are faced with imported bacon from Denmark, Holland and Great Britain in retail outlets. There are no Irish bacon products on sale two weeks before Christmas. The situation is well known to the Taoiseach. He knows the scale and extent of the problem but the Government has not made a decision that would allow processors to return to work in their factories.

There were 16 hours of talk yesterday and some progress was made. I would like the Taoiseach to tell the House this morning, in the interest of housewives who want to stock up this weekend or next week, workers who are on protective notice and the dole, processors who are not the cause of this problem being able to put their plants back in operation and pig farmers whose stock is ready for entry to the processing plants what will be decided. If the Government knows the scale of the problem why has it not made a decision and given processors the opportunity to return to work, with or without European assistance?

The Taoiseach said yesterday that this was not ruled out by Europe; I understood it was. I would like the Taoiseach to tell us the consequence of the plan he has put in place and what decision has been made on allowing processors back to work, bringing the industry back into operation and allowing Irish products to be on Irish and foreign shelves this weekend.

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