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

I refer to promised legislation in the context of the traceability of horses. As the Taoiseach is aware, a major scandal is unfolding with deeply profound consequences for the food industry and the beef industry in particular because of the contamination of beef products with horsemeat and with all the consequences this entails. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has belatedly given a commitment to introduce legislation to ensure full traceability for horses, just as is in place for cattle, sheep and pigs. There is an absence of such traceability at present and yesterday I asked the Taoiseach how one could be certain that horsemeat, either legally or illegally, is not getting into the food chain. This is a very serious issue and one cannot say that with certainty. Moreover, a number of television documentaries have been broadcast and The Sunday Times has covered a number of reports in this regard. Can the Taoiseach indicate when this legislation to ensure traceability of horses will be introduced?

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