Dáil debates

Wednesday, 17 June 2015

1:40 pm

Photo of Fergus O'DowdFergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | 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?

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming to the House today to take this question. We all appreciate that the worst news a Minister in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine can get is the news that some food issue has arisen. The message we can all take from this today is that it is because we have such strict regulation and procedures that an issue like this is picked up. Having looked at some comments in the newspapers, I believe we need to keep repeating that there is zero risk to human health in this regard, because of the excellent systems that have been put in place by many Governments over many years.

The precautionary testing of the cattle turned up this case. This animal would never have got into the food chain. Apart from that, we do not put risk material into the human food chain. Therefore, even if an animal was found subsequently to have had BSE, there would be no risk to human health. It is important that we get the message abroad that we are open for business and that our standards are as high as ever and although there is a possible case of BSE here, we are investigating it through all means available. Please God, the Department will detect the cause of this case, because there are unusual aspects to it.

The positive message from this case is that the check system works and picks up the issues. We are more likely to pick up issues because we have a good check system. The great thing is that nothing escapes and because of that Irish food is probably the safest food of anywhere in the world. Our processes are very good and this case in no way impairs the standard or quality of Irish beef or any other animal product on the market. I look forward to getting an update from the Minister on what has happened in the past week. I am sure he hopes, as I do, that we find the cause. The Minister can then deal with the cause and we can move on.

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank both Deputies for withdrawing their question yesterday and resubmitting it today, because I was in Luxembourg yesterday and was unable to deal with it but I wanted to deal with it personally. I also thank Opposition spokespersons and Deputy O'Dowd for their patience and sensible comments on this issue and for not trying to gain political advantage from it, which would have been counterproductive and unnecessary.

As the House is aware, a cow on a farm in County Louth has tested positive for BSE. I emphasise that the animal was not presented for slaughter and did not enter the food chain. The case was identified through the ongoing surveillance system of the Department. This surveillance system is part of the overall control systems in place to protect the food and feed chain. On the basis of the assessment of these controls and their application by Ireland over a number of years, the OIE, the world animal health organisation, with the agreement of the member country delegates at the general assembly in May 2008, awarded Ireland the category of "controlled risk" for BSE in accordance with Article 11.5.4 of the OIE terrestrial animal health code. These controls have been systematically and rigorously applied over the years.

A series of confirmatory tests are now being undertaken and the final results will be available shortly. If confirmed, this will be the first BSE case found in Ireland since 2013. Prior to that, we had three cases in 2012, three in 2011 and two in 2010. Ireland's BSE surveillance and controls are effective and consistent with legal requirements and best international practice. The identification of this case is proof of that, and this is further evidenced by the dramatic reduction in the prevalence of BSE, from a peak of 333 cases in 2002. While it is disappointing to identify this case now, it is not wholly unexpected that an occasional case of BSE could arise.

In May of this year, Ireland was recognised by the general delegates of the OIE as a country posing a "negligible risk" for BSE in accordance with the 2015 terrestrial animal health code. A country can be recognised as posing a "negligible" BSE risk when, in addition to the continued application of a range of controls, similar to those mentioned earlier, every indigenous case identified was born more than 11 years ago. Unfortunately, should the current case be confirmed as being the classic type of BSE, Ireland would no longer fulfil the requirements of the terrestrial code for "negligible risk status" for BSE. It is likely therefore that Ireland may revert to "controlled risk status" for a further number of years, with the current range of existing controls remaining in place.

The OIE has this week stated that it very much respects the integrity and transparency demonstrated by Ireland in providing preliminary information on this suspect case. It further commends the commitment to the protection of animal and human health as demonstrated by the effectiveness of the ongoing BSE surveillance programme and the controls in place that prevented any part of the animal from entering the human food or animal feed chain.

In accordance with normal procedure, cases of BSE are subject to a full epidemiological investigation. The investigation of this particular case is now under way. While it is recognised that atypical types of BSE may arise sporadically from time to time, in the case of classical type BSE, the risk period for infection is now accepted to be in the first months of life. As the animal in question here was born in 2010, a large part of the epidemiological investigation is focused on events of five to six years ago and may take some time to complete.

The birth cohort, animals born and reared in the herd of birth, around the same time as the positive animal and progeny of the infected animal have been traced and will be removed from the food chain and tested as a precaution.

As a country which exports more than 90% of the beef we produce, we know that our reputation as a producer of safe sustainable beef is paramount and our regulatory and food safety systems are there to provide those assurances. The discovery of this BSE case is evidence of the effectiveness of the controls and surveillance system we have in place and those controls were a key factor in securing market access for Irish beef in many of the new markets in recent years.

As I said last week and the previous week, I have full confidence in our systems. Irish beef is the safest and most sustainable beef in the world and it continues to be, despite the case last week. I look forward to giving further details on the investigation to Deputies who seek it, when it is complete.

1:50 pm

Photo of Fergus O'DowdFergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Minister's hands-on approach to such issues provides the necessary leadership and clarity in this matter. I look forward to the circulation by him of further details when they become available to him.

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

One of the great benefits of the situation is that it was announced by the Department as a suspected case of BSE right from the beginning and there was not a rumour machine. The information was made known. That proves the processes are in place to pick up any issue that will arise, which is a good thing.

Have the results of the second test come back? I presume that will be the next stage of information, and following that the epidemiological studies will be carried out and over time we might get more clarity on the possible cause. Has the second test proved positive or when will we be likely to get the information?

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The tests that are being carried out are not back yet but they should be back shortly, either at the end of this week or the start of next week. People in this House have put the situation into context, which is important. Deputy Ferris, as an Opposition spokesperson, has also been very responsible in terms of how he has responded to the situation as well. The context is that when a country such as Ireland has dealt comprehensively with a historical BSE problem, there will be the odd, isolated case, which is what seems to have happened here. We are now seeking to explain how that happened. It is proof that we have a rigorous testing system that tests every bovine animal over 48 months that dies on a farm in order that we can ensure that if there is any animal with BSE out there, we will find it and it will not find its way through the net. If we do find something, even when it is a preliminary suspected case, we will be upfront, transparent and open about it to all our trade partners, the industry here and to anyone else who is interested. That is what has happened in this case. It is because we have been upfront, for which the World Organisation for Animal Health, OIE, wrote to thank us this week, that we saw the headlines that emerged last week. It is because of that level of transparency that markets for Irish beef are very calm. There has been no impact on beef prices since this happened last week and we are pretty confident that all the new markets we have opened and the ambition we have for growth in those markets this year and into next year can still move ahead as planned. However, let us wait and see what the result of the investigation will be. Openness and transparency is key and that will continue through the process.