Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I compliment the Taoiseach, Deputy Cowen, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Brendan Smith, and the Ministers of State, Deputy Mary Wallace and Deputy Trevor Sargent, on their work so far. While the decision made on Saturday was dramatic, any attempt to cover up this situation would have been disastrous. The Government showed great leadership in taking this tough decision.

It is clear from the statement read into the record of the House today by Senator Carty that we have, from a European viewpoint, a clean bill of health, which is vitally important. That is positive news. The Government must now engage in a public relations exercise internationally. Money will have to be spent on advertisements on Sky television and CNN and in the red tops and other newspapers that have published negative articles in regard to our products. This will cost us but there is a great deal at stake, including the approximately 6,000 jobs in jeopardy as a result of this situation.

We must ensure that this does not happen again. It is happening too often. I thought we had finally dealt with this problem during the BSE crisis some years ago. I was trade Minister at that time and we had to go abroad and convince other countries that our product was 100% safe. The Minister of State will make a statement in the next hour or so in respect of organic pig products, which must be returned to the shelves tomorrow. I appealed in this House this morning for leadership in terms of our restaurant and self-service catering facility which must make available to people tomorrow morning sausages, rashers and white and black pudding, thus proving such products can be consumed and are safe.

I regret what happened at the plant involved, which is a recycling plant and not a food production plant. I cannot understand why such a plant would be used by beef producers. I am involved in an organic farm which produces quality products. We are regularly subjected to on-the-spot inspection by the organic organisation to which we are affiliated. The products we use are regularly inspected. While we cannot turn back the clock, we must ensure this is not allowed to happen again.

Senator John Ellis made a good point in respect of the cost of foodstuffs from abroad, including soya beans, and the big push in this regard. Years ago, swill was collected from the hospitals. As far as I recall, this was done on a tender system by big producers. Pigs always seem to get the worst possible foodstuff and that sector has never been treated respectfully. What one puts in has a bearing on what one gets out, namely, one must feed quality food to get quality production. We must all work together to ensure our pig products are returned to the shelves and marketed internationally. Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland, the Minister, the Taoiseach, the President, Senators and Deputies must work together to push our products and show we have the best food in the world, of which there is no doubt. Nobody has valued food more than we have. I thank the Leader for arranging this debate.