Results 16,141-16,160 of 18,496 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: With regard to Deputy Doyle's point about Backweston which is a very modern, sophisticated laboratory——

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: No, that is not correct——

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: It is very much open and that is where the PCBs were identified. The situation is that a dioxin analysis element within it has not yet been validated and that is in the process of being established and being validated. There are some scientists here in the House who could explain it better. There has been significant investment in the laboratory and excellent work is being carried out...

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Deputy O'Dowd asked about the other food business operator plants. Nothing unusual was noted in premises inspected. Other plants are inspected once or twice a year as well and nothing unusual was detected in any of those particular plants.

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: They were inspected. If Deputy Reilly had been here earlier he would have heard——

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Deputy Timmins asked about the number of farms confirmed earlier today and the number is 45. In the words of the chief veterinary officer at the Department, there was a very thorough investigation of the central database of the Department with regard to herd movements and there could have been some movement of cattle from a number of farms but not the feed supply provided to those farms. I...

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: With regard to traceability of pork, I will take the last question. I apologise to Deputy Timmins because the other people were interrupting his questions. Pigs are identified by farm of origin, they are not identified individually. Traceability of pork at slaughter and afterwards is on the basis of batch produced which may be a day's production. My understanding is that this is the system...

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the Department have put in place a system. If the processor can validate that the product which was slaughtered and processed came from a pig herd which did not come into contact with the contaminated feedstuff, the two agencies working together can validate product for that processor.

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: No. We are talking about the recall of what was on the market. With regard to Deputy Sheehan's point, we got the e-mail or the telephone call at 3.40 p.m. on Saturday——

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The 6 September——

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Pardon?

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: I apologise to Deputy Sheehan. That is a typographical error which I did not see and I apologise to the House. I am sure the Deputy knew it was not September.

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Yes, there is. I remind Deputy McHugh I read it out to the House.

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: He is out of order.

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: With regard to Deputy Upton's point, PCBs are tested for in the feeding process. With regard to her point about Backweston laboratory and the dioxin facility, I am assured that it would have been a delay of a day at the very most. The Department officials are convinced that it was less than a day but rather a matter of hours. With regard to Deputy Penrose's point and it was a point also...

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: I have been informed that the wrapping is taken off by machines before the product, the unused food, goes back into the process.

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: Deputy Ó Caoláin normally does not listen to me.

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: I thank Deputy Gallagher who was on to me over the past several days on issues concerning processing in County Donegal. I will return to him on the mink farm alternative to rendering. We will continue to ensure there is adequate and immediate dialogue between the processing sector, the retailers, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and departmental and local authority veterinarians. I...

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: The most immediate problem is to get the processing sector up and working again. If it is not working, there will be problems everywhere. We have been concentrating on this at official and at political level, as well as the processors, the IFA and other representative groups. That is the way it will continue and how it will be brought to a successful conclusion.

Recall of Irish Pork and Bacon Products: Statements (9 Dec 2008)

Brendan Smith: As I said earlier, product that cannot be used will be disposed by category 1 rendering. On Sunday, we met the retailers who will be sending their product back to the processors. The Department will oversee this to ensure the products are properly disposed. With regard to Deputy Bannon's question, there is no issue with September. It was November when the Department traced it. The...