Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

The Taoiseach will be aware of the unfolding tragedy where at least 22 people have died and approximately 2,100 people are very ill following the outbreak of new E. coli. This outbreak is being handled as badly as it possibly could be. In the first instance, we saw hasty judgments which had an extraordinarily damaging impact on Spain's food sector. Spanish farmers are paying a heavy cost for the initial confusion about the source of the E. coli outbreak. Now, countries that are significant markets are banning the importation of fresh produce from throughout the European Union.

I am sure the Taoiseach will join me in expressing sympathy with the German people for this tragedy and I am certain he will share my view of the seriousness of the threat posed by the outbreak. Before the issue goes any further, I call on the Taoiseach to give clarity on how we as a country are handling the issue. I presume that normal practice was followed and that an inter-agency taskforce was established when the scale of this problem became apparent and emerged last week. Such an approach is critical to ensure the public health, horticultural and economic threats are assessed and mitigated as soon as possible. Will the Taoiseach indicate when the task force was established and outline its work? Will the Taoiseach outline what specific measures are on the way to protect public health and to ensure Irish farmers are not vulnerable to the same fate as Spanish farmers due to hasty and ill-conceived judgments? What has been done to assure markets abroad that Irish food is safe and exempt from any further bans or controls?

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