Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I understand the judicial council Bill will be ready later this year. In regard to food safety, there are no plans in terms of what has been outlined by the Deputy. However, he will be aware that the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has introduced a system of DNA testing that is among the best and most scientifically advanced in the world.

That is what led to the recent discoveries with regard to burger meat. The fact that these discoveries were made in Ireland is testament to how rigorous and scientific our examination is of food. The reputation of Irish food is of tremendous importance and value to the country and the farmers who produce it. This is part of the reason Ireland has such a strong international reputation. With regard to the recent controversy, there are strong indications that all of the companies which have changed suppliers have indicated they will consider sourcing meat and products from other Irish suppliers. This is testament to the strength of scientific food research in Ireland.

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