Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail)

It relates to beef sold through restaurants and catering establishments. Up to now the consumer could not distinguish from where the meat came. This is a great development for consumers and is important for farmers and Irish beef producers who have had particular difficulty in marketing their product against a sub-standard item produced largely in areas where growth promoters, hormones and antibiotics are still administered to cattle right up to the production of beef. The Minister has made an important move towards levelling the playing pitch for beef producers and increasing consumer confidence in Irish food.

I join Senator McCarthy in congratulating Clare people on how they went about their business during the demonstration. One must also recognise the great work done by the Taoiseach and Romano Prodi in their meeting with President Bush at the EU-US summit. The Garda and Army also performed exceptionally well and did the country proud.