Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is now 25 days since the public was told by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, that the Tesco Everyday Value beef burger contained 29.1% horsemeat. The chief technology specialist of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland said at that time that he was stunned by the outcome of that particular test last October, which had been an outside of the box type exercise. It has now been revealed that a burger produced at another processing plant contains 75% horsemeat, which makes a mockery of the Minister's theory at that time that this equine DNA was perhaps caused by something in the air. We can now dismiss that earlier assessment by the Minister.

I put it to the Taoiseach that the primary instinct of the Government and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has been to protect the industry as opposed to vindicating the right of the consumer who eats the burger in the belief that it contains what is stated on the package. The customer has been profoundly let down by these revelations. This drip feeding of revelation has sapped confidence in the industry and the capacity of the system to bring clarity to the situation. The Minister's approach to this issue has been tardy and has lacked coherence, clarity and certainty.

It is worth recalling the initial response of Tesco to the revelations of three weeks ago, namely, that this was either the result of illegality or gross negligence. Perhaps the penny should have dropped then.

See this speech in context