Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 1: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps which are being taken to protect this country from foot and mouth disease in view of the prevalence of foot and mouth disease in Brazil and the grossly inadequate tagging and traceability in that country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18945/06]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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As a member of the EU and the World Trade Organisation, Ireland is in a position to avail of opportunities for trade that are essential for the development of our open economy. Membership of these organisations also brings reciprocal trade obligations. All imports must come from third countries or areas of third countries that have been approved by the EU authorities for export to the EU. In the current WTO discussions in the Council of Ministers, the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Coughlan, has always pressed very strongly the non-trade aspect of market access, which I regard as a crucial element in the overall negotiations. The Minister will do so again on Monday next when WTO will be discussed in the Council and will remind the Commission once again of the importance of equivalence in standards, particularly in regard to all exporting countries, including Brazil.

I fully support the policy that animal products imported into the EU from third countries meet standards at least equivalent to those required for production in, and trade between, EU member states. In this context the Minister contacted the Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, Mr. Markos Kyprianou, concerning the sanitary rules applying to the import of livestock products, especially beef, into the European Union.

The Commissioner pointed out that, with respect to traceability and controls of residues of veterinary medicines, the purpose of EU legislation is not to impose on exporting third countries a system of guarantees that is equal to the EU system, but that the exporting country provides guarantees that are equivalent to the standards applied in the EU.

The Commissioner indicated his service is committed to protect the health of European consumers and European livestock. Adoption of safeguard measures over imports, for example in the matter of dealing with the risk to the EU of the spread of high pathogenic avian influenza, in the finding of residues of unauthorised substances in poultry meat and in the quick and proportionate protective measures applied to imports of beef as a result of the recent outbreaks of foot and mouth disease, demonstrates the Commission's primary objective of maintaining the high sanitary status of the Community and respecting the EU's commitment under the WTO agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

The Commission has assured us that it will not hesitate to take the appropriate protection measures if a product, imported from a third country or produced in the domestic market, represents a risk for the health of EU consumers, livestock or plants.

An EU food and veterinary office, FVO, inspection to evaluate animal health and public health control systems, traceability and certification procedures in place in Brazil was carried out in September of last year. The FVO recently published its findings following a period of consultation with the Brazilian competent authorities and a review of action plans that have been submitted by the Brazilian authorities to the Commission. This report, as well as all previous FVO reports on inspection of third countries' controls for export, may be accessed from the European Commission's website.

While the report comments on a general improvement in the structure, organisation and tasks of the Brazilian competent authorities it has listed a number of recommendations to the authorities to address deficiencies that were recorded in the course of its audit. The Brazilian authorities have undertaken to submit an action plan in response to these recommendations and the Department of Agriculture and Food will continue to monitor the position.

The Department is seeking assurances from the Commission that the FVO will undertake further missions to Brazil to evaluate the implementation of its action plan. At a recent meeting of the standing committee on the food chain and animal health, where the matter was again raised by Ireland, the Commission indicated that a FVO mission is being planned to take place some time before the end of the summer.

In the meantime additional health certification requirements have been introduced for imported beef from Brazil under Commission decision 2006/259/EC, requiring guarantees concerning animal contacts, vaccination programmes and surveillance. These certification provisions took effect from 31 March 2006 and they are checked by the EU approved border inspection posts, through which all third country imports must first be submitted.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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It is obvious from the Minister of State's reply that he did not have the opportunity to read today's Irish Farmers Journal, which highlights deplorable standards and intolerable practices in Brazilian farming. A leading world expert on foot-and-mouth disease control, who works with the Brazilian authorities, writes that the current foot-and-mouth eradication scheme is doing more to spread the disease than eradicate it in Brazil. He adds that the current testing procedures in Brazil are wholly inadequate and unable to differentiate between animals that have been infected with foot-and-mouth disease and those which have been vaccinated. Is it not the case that, as this and the EU food and veterinary office report make clear, traceability is non-existent and the vast majority of cattle in Brazil do not have tags? The EU food and veterinary office seem to go to Brazil for a holiday rather than to produce a report that can be taken seriously by the European Commission. The last report was a damning indictment of what has been happening in Brazil and nothing has been done about it. Today's report is a damning indictment of what has been happening in Brazil and nothing has been done about it.

The McDonalds hamburger chain will not take beef from Brazil because it believes it is an accident waiting to happen. McDonalds is not prepared to take Brazilian beef but the European consumer must accept it, and with it the risk of the importation of foot-and-mouth disease.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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This issue has been raised by Deputy Naughten, Deputy Upton and Members on all sides of the House and I did not need to read a report in any publication——

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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So he did not read it.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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——to have concerns on the matter.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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It is time for Deputy Naughten to listen to the Minister of State.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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I have been listening to him for the past five minutes.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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He obviously was not listening.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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He spent the whole time reading the paper.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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I heard him.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I said, as I did when Deputy Upton asked a similar question, that the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Coughlan, had consistently raised this issue at meetings of the EU Council of Ministers. It will arise again in the context of the WTO negotiations and deliberations at the EU Council of Ministers next Monday. There will be a further European audit and a further FVO inspection before the end of this summer. It is unfair of Deputy Naughten to suggest that eminent professionals who have the confidence of the FVO would treat their work as a holiday and I do not believe that, on reflection, he would consider it true. They are people of the utmost competence and professional ability.

We have raised the issues of concern over equivalence in the standards that apply. At present, EU legislation only authorises imports from Brazil of de-boned and maturated bovine meat, without offals, from certain parts of Brazil. Other organisations, as well as public representatives and Members of both Houses of the Oireachtas, have quite rightly raised their concerns over standards that apply in South America and elsewhere and the Minister has been active in raising it at all Council of Ministers meetings. She wrote a comprehensive letter to the Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection. The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, in response to a question from Deputy Naughten a week ago, said the issue had been referred to the Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection on numerous occasions. This is an issue we will continue to keep on the agenda because it demands the utmost diligence and attention.