Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I would also like to speak about the importation of various types of meat into this country. This is the third time in the space of a year that an issue of this kind has been raised. Along with the two matters mentioned by Senator Finucane, we spoke last year about poultry from outside the EU which is processed in Holland and sold on the Irish market. Meat is coming into this country from producers in Brazil and other South American countries, none of whom have to conform to the strict and proper production restrictions faced by Irish and European producers. Meat is being sold on the shelves of Irish supermarkets at knock-down prices as a consequence. Consumers are attracted by such prices and everybody is losing out. Such practices cause health difficulties and place our producers at a disadvantage. We have discussed this issue in the House on many occasions and it is time for something to be done. I have raised the matter with the IFA. We should stand together on such issues, which cause substantial problems.

The Minister for Education and Science recently announced the establishment of the national disability advisory board. I am astonished that the INTO is not represented on the board. I hasten to add that the INTO has not asked me to raise this matter and I am not raising it on behalf of the organisation. The omission of the INTO is astonishing because its members have been dealing with persons with disabilities since the 1950s. Everybody will lose if this is the outcome of some kind of row between the Minister for Education and Science and the INTO. The members of the INTO have much to offer and I ask the Minister to reconsider appointing somebody from that background to the board.

I draw the attention of the House to the Private Members' motion on the Order Paper in the name of Senators Norris, Ross and Quinn, which is an embarrassment to us. It states: "In view of the critical state of the nation's finances, Seanad Éireann calls on the Government to suspend the benchmarking deal with the public service immediately."