Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State. I am aware that he and his Government colleagues have been working hard on this issue in recent days, which is only to be expected. I am sure he shares my analysis of the scale of this problem and the crisis it poses for the Irish pork and bacon industry in particular and the Irish food industry as a whole. Ireland still depends greatly on agriculture for exports and the flag one flies for Irish food is that its quality always is deemed to be supreme. One still can state without equivocation that Irish food is the best not merely in Europe but, from a quality perspective, in the world, and this point must be proclaimed loudly.

However, Ireland faces a crisis that must be resolved. I was pleased the Minister of State's concluding remarks expressed the hope that Irish pork would be back on the shelves within the next few days, which obviously is vital. I come from an area of north County Cork in which the pig industry is a significant farming enterprise and employer. For many years, it has been a beacon of the agrifood industry and last weekend certainly was an extremely depressing time in parts of north County Cork. I spoke to a number of constituents who are directly involved in this industry and, to put it mildly, they were both disappointed and distressed by what transpired. They wish to work with the Minister of State and his officials to resolve this problem.

When the Government took the decision last Saturday to take all Irish pork products off the shelves, the initial guarded political view was that the correct, and perhaps the only possible, decision had been made. Since then, there has been some debate on whether the initial Government response might have been excessive. I do not wish to enter into such a historical debate at present because what is done is done, but we must reflect on the scale of our response in respect of any such issues in the future. Obviously, I am pleased that, notwithstanding the difficulties that arose within the beef sector in the past day, the Department was able to respond in what could be deemed to be a slightly more measured manner. I hope this is the full extent of the required response.

The response now being sought from our pig producers, processors and those who work in the industry is a package of aid, which will allow the industry, first, to survive the current crisis and thereafter to flourish and grow. We also must ensure that consumers in Ireland, Europe and worldwide again are comfortable and confident to have Irish food on the dinner table. Some highly disappointing scare stories have been doing the rounds about this scare on British and European television and on worldwide media sources. It certainly is being exaggerated beyond the realms of reality. The Minister of State, the Department and Bord Bia must work hard to redress this issue in the crucial weeks and months ahead.

Were it possible to get Irish pork back on the supermarket shelves this week, it would be highly satisfactory. However, in the medium to long term, one must ensure that domestic and international consumers will wish to purchase this product. Consequently, the Department must lead the way in respect of a huge job of marketing or rebranding, if the Minister of State will excuse the pun. I earnestly hope that whatever investment is required in this regard will be made.

I appreciate my time almost has concluded. I appeal to the Minister of State to recognise the scale of the problem this crisis has caused for families and producers, as well as processors and workers nationwide. While this is a valuable component of Irish agri-industry, the entire Irish food industry depends on consumer satisfaction with the safety of Irish food, and this is where the political argument now must go. Ireland should work closely with its EU colleagues and if assistance is required, it should argue strongly that it should be forthcoming because the European Union has a strong role to play in rebuilding confidence across Europe in the Irish food sector.