Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)

In Listowel we call them mutton pies.

The Minister of State referred to the issue of traceability, which is a key element in guaranteeing customer satisfaction. Progressive restaurateurs and hoteliers have turned regulation into an opportunity. They have cottoned on to the fact that if one advertises Limerick ham, Wicklow lamb or Clonakilty black pudding on a menu that it is attractive to the customer and it also ensures people know from where the product is coming. Many restaurateurs now cite the individual farmer who is the source of the beef, lamb or other product, which is a good practice and is good for business.

Even though we have regulations in this regard, they are more often honoured in the breach than the observance by restaurateurs who are not all at the bottom end of the market. One often wonders about the source of last night's beef lasagna or chicken curry. I am indebted to my colleague, Senator Corrigan, for pointing out that in certain retail establishments where a dish like lasagna is prepared in-house, there is no onus on the proprietor to indicate the country of origin of the beef used in it. I urge the Minister of State to examine this anomaly to establish whether this is the case. If so, the system is very open to abuse and could lead to a serious health hazard.

Senator Bradford referred to Irish farmers. There is no doubt they are keen and proud to comply with the most stringent of regulation. The Minister of State said almost all of our food regulation comes directly from Europe. It is galling for farmers to see that food products that would not have been subjected to the same hygiene regime experienced by Irish farmers are being imported here and sold at knock-down prices in competition with Irish farm produce. It is difficult for Irish farmers to put up with that.

We were briefed recently by the IFA in the Mansion House on the issue of labelling. It was pointed out that non-Irish bacon is imported here in bulk and is then dressed, packaged, vacuum-packed or sliced and sold on as an Irish product, which is misleading. The suspicion is that this may be going on in other sectors also and this sharp practice should be stopped. In a Dáil debate on 24 October 2007, the Minister emphasised the importance of good food information. We need clear, unambiguous data to be readily available to customers.

I take issue with Senator Bradford on one matter. He referred to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Coughlan, as being in some way deficient in terms of ensuring the highest standards in regard to the importation of Brazilian beef. I commend the Minister for the hard work she has done to initiate European Union regulations, quite a number of which have already been put in place following her efforts.

I received a report by e-mail from a veterinary mission which travelled to Brazil. I look forward to reading the full results, which I expect will make for interesting reading. The Minister, Deputy Coughlan, stated that Commissioner Kyprianou will not hesitate to take whatever action is required if there is any risk to Irish livestock, consumers or plants.

I wish to digress briefly and refer to vegetables. It is a matter of ongoing concern that so many of the vegetables sold here are imported. Even the potato, which was historically our staple diet, is likely to be Dutch nowadays. It seems the only product in the vegetable sector in which we have a strong export balance is the mushroom, although I am not sure what this tells us.

I do not want to turn us back to the day when every cottier had his couple of acres and grew his potatoes and root crops. There is enormous potential in this area from a health, nourishment and economic perspective. If there were a new emphasis on home tillage and vegetable production, we would not have the same reliance on imports and the Irish consumer would prefer to have the choice of Irish products. The Minister of State, Deputy Gallagher, should consult his colleagues in the Department of Agriculture to find out how we might redress the economic and nutrition balance.

The public has come to expect the highest standards. To paraphrase Senator Quinn, who used the expression "crowning the customer" in his book, it is now a matter of crowning the consumer. Consumers must be prioritised because they are no longer prepared to accept standards lower than premium or first class. We must work harder to involve producers and the agribusiness sector in developing and working towards healthy practices. Those sectors have not been slow in this regard. I am proud of a Kerry-based organisation, Kerry Group plc, which has been a leader in this area and is represented on the boards of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and Bord Bia. However, there is room for further improvement nationally.

We have come a long way from the hygiene standards which obtained when the following joke was coined. A small shopkeeper — I think he was a Donegal man — had some American visitors. There was a big side of bacon on the counter with a couple of bluebottles buzzing around it. The shopkeeper rolled up his newspaper and flattened the bluebottles onto the bacon, and said: "I'm very strict on the hygiene, you know." We have moved on from that time.