Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. I am aware of his commitment to ensuring the transparency and accountability of the Department in regard to BSE. I welcome the clarity he has brought to the detection of a possible case of BSE in my county of Louth. I am aware of how isolated this case is and that its detection indicates the checks and balances in our system are robust and stand up to transparent investigation. This is important because of the huge importance of the beef industry for the country. I understand that of the 139,000 farms we have, over 110,000 are involved in rearing cattle. The beef industry is worth over €2 billion to our economy annually and beef is a hugely valuable export. It is vital the Food Safety Authority remains happy with the standards, processes and procedures in place and that Ireland maintains the most robust standards in ensuring the quality of our beef is second to none and ensures no health issues arise. Will the Minister give us an update on the progress within his Department so far on this important matter?

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