Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

All Deputies will agree the food industry is a critical part of our economic activity, as well as being critical to our export sector and to jobs. That is why we have such a high standard of oversight of food production in this country. It is the best, I would say, in the world. It is important to reiterate this is not a public health issue or relates to food safety but to food standards. It is important to bear this in mind with some of the questions raised, for example, in the United Kingdom because it does not do the level of testing we do here. Our food safety authority is not only focused on ensuring that no contaminants which would impact on the health of individuals go into any food product but that food products are as labelled. These high standards have been acknowledged, even in the past 24 hours.

To answer the specific questions raised by the Deputy, it will be a matter for the FSAI to conclude its current investigations. It is being assisted by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Its inspectors have gone into the meat plants in question and I understand the results of the most recent testing will be made publicly available this afternoon. It is important we approach this entire episode in a completely open and transparent way and that the sequence of events, as laid out by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine yesterday, is clear to the House and the public so we can have confidence in robust systems. Where failings occur, they will be identified because our systems are so robust.

As to what might follow on with further legislation or food tracing systems, all of this will be addressed once we find the source of the current contamination and give absolute assurances to the Irish people who consume these products and to any exporter who buys an Irish product that the highest standards we are determined to maintain are in place. We must assure them that there is no threat either to the safety or health of anybody - which is quite clear already - and that the product that is labelled is the product people get.

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