Michael McCarthy (Labour)

I welcome this debate. It is taking place as a result of recent reports of the contamination of food products with the industrial dye Sudan Red 1. Most of us had never heard of it until it made the news.

This opened up an important debate on food safety on this country and our attitudes thereto. This country has relied on the food industry in recent years. We have built a good reputation internationally as a country for fine food and drink. Kinsale is the gourmet capital of Ireland and is well connected with Keith Floyd, the celebrity chef. The food industry here has earned a reputation which we are proud to show off to tourists and avail of ourselves as consumers. It is an important part of the economy and we are therefore concerned about contamination of food products.

The agrifood industry faces many challenges. The international market is competitive and we are competing with much larger countries. Our exports must be of a high standard to ensure good output. We have to ensure there are high standards of food safety not only within the foodchain but within the production systems. This goes beyond the farm gate to the heart of the processing plants. We have all heard criticisms, as we did in the context of the National Tourism Development Authority Bill, concerning the scrutiny of premises which claim to be of an acceptable standard as food outlets. Exacting standards are applied to these outlets for obvious reasons. It is not unfair to expect those standards when dealing with an issue that is so important to our health, our environmental health and the economy. Any measures in place for the purpose of ensuring the prescribed standards are met in the area of hygiene are necessary.

As a race, our minds are concentrated on what we eat and it has become a huge focus for health campaigns, health promotions, health awareness, healthy eating and healthy living. For many years we had not taken the healthy option and, probably, looked on food as something to be devoured, rather than taking into account its serious consequences. Many foods contain a high fat content which is injurious to health. Therefore, it is important from a health aspect that we are aware of what we are eating. As consumers we need to be assured of the origin of the food and that the standards required of the food industry are adhered to. That is important in terms of public confidence and human health.

In the context of the smoking ban, the most important factor in terms of public confidence was the repeated lectures on health issues. As a nation we had become careless not only in terms of what we eat but how we abuse our bodies. There could be no argument in that regard as it was common sense. However, we had been unaware of these issues. The same logic must be applied in regard to what we eat. We have to be aware that the food industry is the single most important industry in Ireland. Its output value of €16 billion is huge by any yardstick.

Important components in ensuring a high standard of food safety include registration, identification, labelling, animal health, animal welfare, veterinary hygiene, processing plants, imports, exports and laboratories, much of which has come about by virtue of our membership of the European Union. Although food legislation goes back much further, one of the many benefits of EU membership has been the way in which we govern and regulate locally and deal with EU directives, not least in this area from where most, if not all, food legislation emanates.

Our extensive grass-based production system underpins a fine food industry. We have to be cognisant well into the future that as a country that depends so much on the food industry in terms of providing jobs and generating revenue, we are equally concerned about the industry's reputation not only at home but abroad.

As a nation we will celebrate the birth of our patron saint in approximately ten days' time. This has already been publicised given that we are sending many of our Ministers abroad. It is part of our culture abroad and it is what defines us as being Irish. We have to be aware that any aspersions that could be cast on the standards applied to food production and exports may have serious knock-on effects not only at home but abroad.

I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Power, on his appointment and wish him well in the future.