Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

What we need is common sense at this time. When we are best placed to sustain this kind of contribution we will make it, but until then the people are entitled to the support of the Government and they are not getting it.

I thank you for your indulgence, a Chathaoirligh, in raising a second issue. Yesterday, following the efforts ? a little late ? in making it a European issue, the horsemeat crisis moved to a different stage. I commend, albeit belatedly, the efforts of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, in this regard. As I said on RTE last night, I am pleased to see the media today are echoing the calls, the European Union has abdicated its responsibilities in the context of the crisis. Commissioner Borg has said this is not a food safety issue and therefore the Commission is not concerned and not triggering its normal reaction to the labelling crisis. That is fundamentally wrong. There are flaws throughout the country. Frankly, I have confidence in this country and the systems we employ in post-beef tribunal Ireland in this context. We have a systemic failure Europe-wide and unless mandatory testing is introduced and enforced by European authorities with clear penalties for those who do not do it, the consumer, who is the person that counts most in the crisis, cannot be served correctly and it might adversely affect our farming industry and European agriculture, in particular at a time when we are about to embark on serious negotiations for free trade between the United States and Europe.