Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I welcome to the House the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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In my role as Minister of State with responsibility for health promotion and food safety, I welcome this opportunity to discuss these issues in the House. We live in a society in which the availability of fresh, wholesome, varied and, above all, safe food is taken for granted. Undoubtedly, standards of production and distribution of food have improved significantly and one can now walk into shops in almost any part of the country and buy foodstuffs, the existence of which one would have been unaware only a generation ago. Moreover, while I am conscious that I am showing my age in this respect, foods such as oranges and bananas, which were once infrequent treats, are now a completely unremarked-on part of our daily diet. However, such welcome developments have given rise to their own challenges and I will address this issue in the course of my contribution.

In this new period of prosperity, previously exotic foods are consumed routinely and increased affluence has led to more foreign travel and greater attendances at restaurants. Our palates have become more sophisticated and our tastes more varied. Consequently, the food industry has expanded significantly. According to Bord Bia, the total turnover of food and drink for 2006 was almost €20 billion. The agriculture and food industry is now the largest indigenous sector and agriculture alone employs 109,000 people. It accounts for more than half of indigenous exports, contributes significantly to rural development and represents almost one tenth of the economy.

Against this background, the need to assure the consumer of the safety of Irish food, thereby helping to safeguard public health and the interests of this industry, has reached a new level of importance. It has also reached a new level of complexity. It is necessary to meet this challenge with a proactive, long-term approach, including the provision of a robust legislative framework and through the provision and efficient use of resources within this framework. This approach must be guided by science while being informed by the needs of the food industry's key stakeholders, namely, producers, processors, caterers, retailers and, most importantly, consumers.

Members will recall that in the late 1980s and early 1990s, in the wake of various crises that besieged the European food industry, Ireland was one of the first EU member states to restructure and modernise its food safety regime. The establishment of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, in which the power to implement national food policy was vested, freed the Department of Health and Children and what is now the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to concentrate on the formulation of national policy and to represent Ireland's interests at international level. While one should never become complacent, I believe this arrangement has worked well.

Some of the major achievements since this restructuring include a dramatic decline in the numbers of BSE cases in the national herd, which is due largely to the strict enforcement of food safety controls throughout the food chain. There has been an increase in the number of food premises that have put in place food safety management systems based on the principles of the hazard analysis and critical control point, HACCP, system. Moreover, there has been a reduction of salt levels in processed foods in partnership with industry and a reduction in the incidence of salmonella in poultry flocks and in eggs produced in Ireland.

There are two key areas in food safety, namely, guaranteeing to the greatest possible extent that food is safe and the provision of clear and accurate information to consumers regarding what they are eating. Almost all food legislation now originates at EU level and a key change being faced at present by all stakeholders in the food chain concerns the implementation of the new hygiene regulations, which represent the single biggest change in food legislation in recent years. The new legal obligations will have an impact on all food operations in Ireland, of which there are now approximately 44,000.

The cornerstone of the new regulations is the requirement for traceability in the food chain. The need for this has been widely discussed in the media and many different sectors of industry. In particular, traceability helps to facilitate the withdrawal of food and enables consumers to be provided with targeted and accurate information concerning implicated products. Current regulations require food business operators to have a so-called one-up and one-down system for traceability. In others words, they must keep records of those from whom they purchase products and to whom they sell such products.

Well-developed traceability systems provide food business operators with more than the simple ability to withdraw or recall food effectively, if required. The ability to ensure the provenance of food and to satisfy consumers who need to know where their food comes from is also much easier. While traceability is a legal requirement, it also makes good business sense. There are few things worse for a food business operator than to be obliged to recall its product in the full glare of the media and the associated public attention that goes with such events. It is at the time of such crises that advance planning is of major benefit and those companies that have crisis management plans in place usually will be able to limit reputation damage and economic loss.

In regard to the provision of information, food labelling should provide sufficient information to help the consumer make an informed purchasing decision. Proper labelling should encourage healthier food choice and may provide industry with incentive to reformulate foods that are less healthy such as, for example, those containing large quantities of trans fatty acids.

The Government recognises the need for well-regulated labelling of foodstuffs. The Department of Health and Children and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have produced a significant body of work in this area. In the past two years, four pieces of EU labelling legislation have been transposed. At national level, 2006 saw the enactment of primary legislation under which the beef labelling requirements on country of origin were extended to the catering sector. This year saw the implementation of a consultation programme on country of origin labelling that culminated in draft national legislation. This legislation is intended to extend mandatory country of origin food labelling to sheep, pig and poultry meats. The two Departments are working closely together to make progress on the proposed legislation. It will be necessary to notify the draft legislation to the European Commission to allow it and other member states an opportunity to comment.

While much work has been done in the area of labelling by Departments, it must be recognised that industry also has a responsibility in this regard. With this in mind, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland recently produced a new report on food labelling in Ireland and implemented a national campaign to highlight the importance of correct food product labelling. The report, The Labelling of Food in Ireland 2007, aims to dispel confusion as to what a food label should contain. This will ultimately assist food businesses in ensuring correct labelling and will benefit consumers by enabling them to make informed purchasing decisions based on clear and accurate labelling information.

The 140-page report brings together in detail all Irish and European law governing the labelling of food. It provides specific information and guidelines on labelling with regard to ingredients, additives, storage instructions, nutrition, novel foods and genetically modified foods. In addition, there are special sections covering organic food labelling and specific requirements for commodities such as beef, chocolate, fruit juices and milk and sugar products.

As with all areas of food safety, there is an international dimension to this work. At present, EU food labelling legislation is harmonised by Council Directive 2000/13/EC, which was transposed into national legislation in 2002. To date, there have been seven amendments to the transposing regulations which apply to the labelling of pre-packaged foodstuffs for sale to the ultimate consumer or for supply to mass caterers. These regulations are based on the principle that food labelling should not mislead consumers. While labelling should be clear, consistent and understandable, the current diversity of legislation, coupled with the range of regulations and directives in force, presents a complex and potentially confusing matrix. It has therefore been recommended that the provisions currently spread across a number of texts be recast into a single simplified text. A working group has been set up at EU level to consider changes to legislation in this area as part of the Commission's overall review of food labelling legislation. As part of this process, Ireland submitted its particular concerns on food labelling to the Commission. It is intended that the Commission will present the outcome of the working group's deliberations to the European Parliament in December. Both the Department of Health and Children and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will be working closely with the European Commission on this important issue.

I referred earlier to the increased complexity of the food safety area. This is exemplified by the advent of foodstuffs containing genetically modified organisms, GMOs. Although Ireland has traditionally adopted a precautionary but positive approach, the Irish public appears to be divided on this issue. Government policy in this area is currently being re-evaluated to ensure that as far as possible the views of supporters and opponents of the use of GMOs are taken into account.

I also mentioned that there were some areas of concern with regard to health promotion. In general, there is much crossover between food safety and health promotion. The importance of making an informed choice regarding food is emphasised by current research which suggests that just under 30% of cancer deaths are potentially avoidable by diet modification. This makes diet second only to tobacco as a preventable cause of cancer. To help the consumer to modify his or her diet for the better, the health promotion unit of the Department of Health and Children has, since the early 1990s, co-ordinated an annual national healthy eating campaign which aims to promote awareness of specific healthy eating messages and to provide practical information to the general public. These campaigns have enhanced public awareness on healthy eating guidelines in terms of increasing fruit and vegetable and fibre intake, reducing fat intake and maintaining a healthy weight. In addition, the Department is currently developing a national nutritional strategy.

Healthy eating is just one component of health promotion. The World Health Organisation has stated that regular physical activity is a significant element in the prevention and control of cancer. There is consistent evidence that regular physical activity in some form is associated with a reduction in the risk of colon cancer. The protective effect of physical activity improves with increasing levels of activity. Twelve physical activity co-ordinators have been appointed in the HSE and structures have been put in place to provide advice and support in a number of settings, including schools, workplaces and communities, particularly targeting younger and older people.

The Irish food environment has changed much in recent years and will change further in years to come. The robustness of our food safety system has been severely tested and has so far passed. I am confident it will also pass any future tests.

Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House and wish him well in his new portfolio. He has served with distinction in a number of Government Departments over the years and he now faces a new and important challenge in the area of food safety and preventative medicine.

The question of food safety is of interest to every family and person in this country. Fine Gael has a certain number of priorities in terms of marketing of Irish food, consumer issues and food imports. As the Minister of State has heard over the last few years from my colleagues in the other House and from our spokespersons, we believe there should be a single food label for all Irish food products — a "Green Ireland" type of label which would be simple and easily recognisable and could be used in both the domestic and international market. A label of this type would emphasise the ability of the Irish farmer to supply healthy, environmentally friendly and safe foods. We are also adamant that the consumer must be fully protected. This can only be achieved by ensuring supplies of safe, traceable and clearly labelled products which provide good value for money. In addition, there will always be imported food, and we must seek and secure new regulations at EU level to ensure that all foodstuffs, particularly meat products, imported from outside the EU will be clearly labelled as such and that they will meet the same strict and exacting standards that apply to products produced by EU farmers.

Over the past 20 or 30 years the focus of the food budget has changed and the proportion of family income spent on food has decreased. When we joined the EEC in 1973, people were spending 30% to 35% of their weekly incomes on food, whereas now they spend a significantly lower percentage of their incomes, perhaps 8% to 10%.

We must question whether cheap food can be quality food. This issue was addressed some time ago by Professor Patrick Wall who warned consumers of the quality of cheap imported foods. It is not possible to produce quality, safe, premium food at knock-down prices. We must send out to the Irish consumer the message that the production of quality, safe, wholesome food comes at a price. We must be concerned about some of the food imported from outside the European Union and placed on the shelves of big chain stores.

Meat products imported from Asia and Third World countries are often reprocessed by way of the addition of breadcrumbs, as in the case of chicken, and deemed to have been produced in Ireland. We must be careful to ensure that type of labelling is not permitted in the future and that only meat produced within the European Union, and in Ireland in particular, is labelled as such. Fine Gael is adamant that the green Ireland labelling system be put in place as soon as possible. The consumer is king and he or she will decide what price is appropriate. We must ensure that when consumers make a choice in respect of quality, price and value for money, they know exactly what they are paying for and what they are obtaining. I am concerned that some of the cheaper foodstuffs which sometimes masquerade as foodstuffs produced in the European Union are not so produced and may be of a quality with which we would not be comfortable.

I readily concede that the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has done a great deal of work in terms of building up a national system of health and safety regulation for producers and retailers. I understand it is involved in various media campaigns informing consumers and producers about clear and accurate food labelling. However, as I stated earlier, an issue arises in respect of misleading labelling of foodstuffs imported from outside the European Union. This type of misleading labelling is worse than no labelling at all. The voluntary controls and inspections, which we hoped would resolve this problem, have not resulted in change. For this reason and to ensure the consumer is aware of where products are produced, we must introduce the green labelling system. The loopholes in our existing legislation are allowing products produced outside of Ireland, such as chicken from Asia or beef from Brazil, to be passed off as Irish products following minimal processing here. This is not acceptable. I hope the Minister of State and his Department will tackle this issue.

I mentioned earlier the good work being done by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Part of its work and research has identified the false labelling of products, something which must be of concern to us. The European Union, European Commission and European political system are obviously to the fore in trying to promote food safety and health. However, some of the inspections carried out by the European Union in respect of foodstuffs produced outside Europe and imported into Europe have identified inferior hygiene and quality standards yet these foodstuffs continue to be appear on supermarket shelves and, in some case, on the restaurant table. The lack of labelling in this regard denies the consumer the right to make an informed choice.

An issue about which people are now speaking in terms of quality food is that of food miles and how far food has to travel from the farm gate to the table. Most meat consumed in Ireland 40 or 50 years ago, pre-European Union accession, was produced on local farms. This has changed and we are now advised that the average distance travelled by the average food product can be approximately 3,000 miles, making food less nutritious than local produce and more at risk of damage through transportation and handling. The absence of a clear guaranteed Irish label makes choosing Irish produce a trial. There is a much greater willingness on the part of Irish consumers nowadays, as a result of our increased wealth, to seek out better quality food and to pay the slightly higher price that such food costs. It is often not possible for the consumer to make that choice given the lack of a clear guaranteed Irish labelling system. It is important we try to rectify this situation.

My colleagues in Fine Gael have done a great deal of work during the past three or four years in respect of the rip-off, in terms of the cost of food, being endured by the Irish consumer. One of our most recent surveys indicated that shoppers are often ripped-off by mark-ups of more than 200% on basic food items by supermarkets. We must be concerned about this and try to tackle the problem. Consumers must be guaranteed quality, safe food and they must be permitted to make healthy choices.

Experience in the United Kingdom has shown that shoppers want to purchase healthy food and that following the introduction there of a proper labelling system, sales of unhealthy food decreased by 40%. The Minister of State referred to the role of food in health promotion, disease prevention, cancer prevention and in tackling obesity levels. We have a long way to go in this debate. The debate on obesity and the role of quality food in health promotion and disease prevention has only begun. It is important the Minister of State leads this debate.

Again, perhaps because of our increased wealth and increased disposable income, people are consuming greater volumes of foodstuffs that can lead to obesity and an increased risk of heart disease and cancer. We must continue to promote the consumption of healthy, quality, nutritious, natural food not only in terms of it being better for one's diet and the most satisfying, but also in terms of it being the best food from a disease prevention point of view. The Minister of State's comments in respect of disease prevention and his work in that regard are important. I wish him well in that regard.

The importation of Brazilian beef is causing serious concern for Irish farmers. I accept the importation of Brazilian beef perhaps relates more to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food than to the Department of Health and Children. However, the Irish beef industry is in crisis and Irish farmers see Brazilian beef being imported at will into the European Union and being placed on supermarket shelves in Ireland and Europe. This is a source of great distress to the Irish agriculture sector and it should be of concern to consumers because of the clear lack of health and quality checks on Brazilian beef.

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Coughlan, has been remiss at European Union level in not tackling this problem in a more serious fashion, and in not seeking a full ban on the importation of Brazilian beef. The standards we have in Ireland and the standards that are demanded throughout the European Union are much higher than the standards being imposed on Brazilian and other South American farmers. It is not good enough that one set of standards apply at home, yet Brazilian and other South American beef can be imported and placed on Irish supermarket shelves and tables without strict controls applying.

I urge the Minister of State, Deputy Gallagher, to raise the issue of the importation of Brazilian beef with the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food because in the long run it will not just be the income of Irish farmers that will suffer but the health of consumers.

Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)
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Ba mhaith liom ar dtús fáilte a chuir roimh an Aire. Táimse an-bhuíoch dó as ucht an léaráid suimiúil a thug sé dúinn ar maidin. I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for a most interesting presentation. I wish him well in this challenging portfolio. I also welcome the thoughtful contribution made by Senator Bradford. I agree with the many interesting points he made.

It is a sign of a forward-thinking Government that we now have a dedicated Minister of State with responsibility for health promotion and food safety and that a section of the Department of Health and Children is now dedicated to dealing with this important issue, which is becoming more important in today's health conscious society.

We are fortunate to live in a country where the quality rather than the quantity of food is at issue. My generation is probably the first generation that lived free from the shadow of the "great hunger". We have come to expect full and plenty on a year round basis. We witness shocking scenes on television of famine and horror in Third World countries and when we commiserate with those unfortunate individuals we realise how lucky we are to be able to have three square meals a day. It is not so much the availability of food but the quality of it that is important. It is vital for the Government to ensure, in so far as it is possible, that the food we eat is free of inferior ingredients, shoddy practices and poor hygiene.

I acknowledge and welcome the invaluable work being done by the Food Safety Authority and the Food Safety Promotion Board. The image of a clean, green Ireland, which is so important to our economy, is being safeguarded by these agencies and their subsidiaries, along with their partners in Bord Bia and the overlapping work done by the Departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Health and Children. Of the 4,500 staff in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, approximately 2,000 people are employed in the area of food safety and quality assurance.

I welcome the interest in this matter of the Minister of State, Deputy Gallagher, and his counterpart in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Sargent. In fairness to the Green Party, it has taken a lead in many of the issues we are discussing. The Minister of State, Deputy Sargent, will be in my home town of Listowel tonight to open the annual food fair which was organised by Deputy Deenihan. I know the Minister of State will get a warm welcome.

I see Senator O'Toole is present in the Chamber. He recently raised in the House the issue of the disappearance of mutton. He will be delighted to hear one of the competitions in the Listowel food fair this year is the making of mutton pies, which were a staple diet for people attending the Listowel races.

Joe O'Toole (Independent)
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In the rest of the county they are called Dingle pies.

Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)
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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.

Phil Prendergast (Labour)
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Was he from Donegal?

Joe O'Toole (Independent)
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It would not happen in Kerry.

Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)
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We must be ever more vigilant. Change will not happen overnight. As Bob Dylan said, we have to keep on keeping on.

Another issue that might be examined is the question of food provision at major events, which is a bugbear of mine. People believe they can drop their standards with regard to sporting occasions, rock festivals and the like, where shoddy practices are in evidence. I am amazed there are not more reports of food poisoning and ill health as a result. My particular hobby-horse for years was the quality of catering at racecourses, which was a scandal, although the prices were straight from Maxim's. The predecessor of the Horse Racing Authority, the Irish Racing Board, tackled this issue with great success and one is now assured of clean, safe food at racecourses. The prices are still Parisian but that is another matter.

No reference was made to drinks. I am concerned with health and safety issues in this area owing to the proliferation of available spirits, especially vodka. There are now many themed vodka bars and specialist hostelries where customers do not know exactly what is being consumed. There are also vodka-laced alcopops which are quite lethal. While we must depend on the maturity of adults, there is a health issue due to the lack of knowledge in this area.

Scotch whisky seems to be accepted as the premium whiskey throughout the world, when any judge of whiskey knows the best Scotch only comes close to the purity and maturity of an Irish whiskey.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Well said.

Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)
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Despite this, one can visit the best international chains in the world and there will be 20 Scotch whiskies, ten American whiskeys and ten Canadian whiskies but no Irish whiskey. While this is not a health issue, it is one that can be considered from an economic perspective.

If one walks through any city of the world, one will see South American steak restaurants,Pampas themed restaurants, Latin Americanrestaurants and so on. Where are the Irishsteakhouses? We have ubiquitous Irish pubs, which are about as Irish as chicken chop suey, but there are no Irish steakhouses although we are supposed to be the best producers of beef in the world. Somebody is falling down in this regard.

I have moved from addressing health issues to marketing issues, so I will conclude. I commend the Minister of State on the great work he is doing. I look forward to working with him and his Department in the years ahead.

Joe O'Toole (Independent)
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I wish to share time with Senator Norris.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Joe O'Toole (Independent)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, to the House. I found the contribution of Senator O'Sullivan most interesting. I recently asked for two debates on food issues, one on food quality and the other on food safety, and this is the first of the two. We need to consider these issues.

I remind the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, of an issue on which he and I were slightly culpable as Members of this House in the late 1980s, namely, the passing of the Abattoirs Act 1988, which was the biggest legislative mistake we have made for many years on food issues. Like many Members, I grew up in a town where, when one ordered meat from the local butcher, it most likely came from his own or a neighbour's farm and traceability was a very simple issue. Now, even the best organised butcher's shop might have difficulty telling a customer from where the meat it is selling came because it is buying from a central abattoir in vacuum-packed trays. We are spending billions to improve traceability although it was not an issue in the past. As the question of the provenance of food is so important, we must examine this issue.

I agree with a point made by Senator O'Sullivan. I recently went to what is probably the best food shop in Dublin at present, Fallon and Byrne in Wicklow Street. It had a fantastic selection of mushrooms, such as chantelles and many other types one does not see in shops any longer. We have destroyed the taste of mushrooms. There is no comparison between the taste of wild mushrooms, which people picked and put on the fire with a knob of butter, and the tasteless stuff that comes from dark, covered growing areas nowadays. This is because we have not trained growers in the area of taste and related aspects.

I agree with Senator Bradford and the IFA on the issue of Brazilian meat.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Hear, hear.

Joe O'Toole (Independent)
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Irish farmers have made an argument that is convincing to any interested person. I have not heard an answer to this simple question: why, if foot and mouth disease is found in this country, does the whole country close down, whereas if it happens in another country, that country can still export to us? It does not make sense. I do not add to this a criticism of the Minister, Deputy Coughlan. As Senator O'Sullivan noted, she has made every attempt to move Europe's position on this issue. The Government should state clearly that this is wrong. If necessary, we should pass legislation to protect our farmers.

The issue of food labelling is related to that of food safety. I would like to conduct a survey of Oireachtas Members to find whether they know the difference between Irish smoked salmon and smoked Irish salmon. I suspect most would not. Most would simply read the word "Irish" and would not know that Irish smoked salmon is more than likely imported salmon which has been smoked in Ireland. Also, the distinction between wild and other salmon has not been properly made.

An area related to food safety in which Ireland is badly lacking is how we develop new products in a safe way. The Minister of State, Deputy Gallagher, has just left the House. I intended to remind him that not long ago air-dried venison from Donegal was available in good food shops in Senator Keaveney's constituency. It was a beautiful product, pure black, well presented and very unusual, yet the company producing it has gone out of business. As far as I know, it came from the place famous for its connection with Tabasco sauce, and the venison was raised and air-dried on the McElhinny farm. This country does not produce air-dried bacon, venison or beef. We import Serrano ham and we pay big money for it. We could produce this ourselves.

In terms of the issue of drink which was touched on by Senator O'Sullivan, we should give some recognition and more support to local breweries. I was in the west recently and saw a very unusual and cloudy beer, which one does not see in Ireland. It is usually a continental commodity. It was named "Galway Hooker". I inquired about it. It is made in Roscommon and it is available in certain hostelries in Galway city and also in other parts of Connacht and down as far as Limerick. This is something that needs to be encouraged.

Many years ago the Government attempted to develop a new product, one-calf heifers, and failed. I mentioned mutton in the House previously. That is a product one can buy all over France. I am glad Senator O'Sullivan mentioned it. Mutton is available in some restaurants in Dublin. Roly's Bistro sells Kerry pies as one of its signature dishes, and it is a mutton pie.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Do they have mutton in Kate Kearney's Cottage?

Joe O'Toole (Independent)
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That is a good question. They probably do. The reason it is important is that it is mountain mutton with a small bone in it and it has a different taste to lowland mutton. That is what people should look for. In France, where people value the taste of food, they still maintain a taste in chickens. They sell hens, chapons, which are year-old chickens, usually corn fed. Each one is numbered. They are expensive. They cost €12 in the supermarket but they are available. Beside them in continental supermarkets — and this is an issue on which I have never received an answer — is Irish lamb, agneau Irlandais, and Irish lamb is cheaper in continental Europe, especially in France, than it is in Ireland. I often bring this to the attention of my colleague, Senator Quinn. I do not understand why it is the case. It has something to do with regulation.

I live, at the moment, in north County Dublin, which used to be the centre of the Irish vegetable industry. People go to France and to continental Europe and take photographs of vegetable displays. They want to know why we cannot have these lovely shiny large vegetables in Ireland. The answer is very simple. We apply the regulations here and that is not done in any other European country. I can walk into a food market in Provence in France and see cucumbers, root vegetables, tomatoes in particular, which would not get through the sorting system to get into the Dublin vegetable market. They would be dumped here. More good food is dumped here than is sold in other countries. We need to examine the regulation.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I hesitate to interrupt the Senator's flow but as he wishes to share his time with Senator Norris, I should issue a gentle reminder at this stage.

Joe O'Toole (Independent)
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Other issues are the regulations relating to cottage industry, farmers' markets and farmer outlets. Does the Minister of State know that there are farmers doing quite well selling vegetables to local people at the farm gate but they cannot include in the sale anything which has not been grown on the farm? One can buy a variety of vegetables but one might also want to buy ginger which would not have been grown on the farm and, because of ridiculous legislation, farmers are not allowed to sell that.

Somebody who wants to set up a sandwich business in Ireland to cater for four schools and a small factory, which would be a small operation, must fulfil the same regulations that would apply to the establishment of an Irish version of Freshways to cater for the whole country. There is a lack of balance in the regulations. We are overly enthusiastic about some of these. I have tried to be practical. I could say much more on these issues. The Department is doing a reasonable job in moving this forward, but there are many more practical, simple things it could do.

David Norris (Independent)
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I am grateful to my colleague for sharing his time. I welcome the Minister of State. I wish to raise a small number of concerns. The first is the question of labelling which was raised by my colleague, Senator O'Toole, who is very interested in this area. I am concerned, as he is, because people, including shopkeepers, do not appear to appreciate the difference between "use by" and "best before" dates. This has been drawn to our attention by Dr. John O'Brien, Chief Executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. He says:

It is alarming that some businesses are ignorant about this most basic, but critical labelling requirement — the shelflife of the product. Our campaign simply explains that a 'Use By' date is used on products that are highly perishable and if they are consumed after their 'Use By' date they could cause illness. 'Best Before' dates refer to a period that a product remains at its best condition and whilst people can eat products after the 'Best Before' date has passed, they may disappoint in terms of quality but they should not pose a food safety risk.

This is a very significant point if there is misunderstanding not just by shoppers but also by shopkeepers. The authority also examined breakfast cereal that was labelled as gluten free and yet was found to contain high levels of gluten. That is very dangerous for people who suffer from coeliac disease. Labelling is clearly an important and significant element. There is also the question of items labelled as Irish when they are of foreign origin. A study of 55 different kinds of noodles for irradiation found that approximately 25% of products had irradiated ingredients. There is a legal requirement that this be stated on the label but it was not.

This leads me to the question of genetically modified foods. I would like the Minister of State to take this very seriously, as the Minister of State, Deputy Trevor Sargent, does. I draw the attention of the Minister of State to a very interesting book, entitled Genetic Roulette, by Jeffrey M. Smith. The information contained in it is very worrying. It is compiled by scientists and it demonstrates clearly that in terms of genetically modified crops, frequently the pollen from those crops can adversely affect the health of people living in the area. We have noticed, even in this country, an increase in allergies. This situation will only be made worse if we do not retain our status as a GM free country. I note the Minister of State, Deputy Sargent, is committed to this position and I applaud him for it.

It is important we would remain committed to this position even if there were not scientific worries. From a marketing and labelling point of view, it would very advantageous for us to be able to indicate that our food products were free of this material. However, it is a position that is very difficult to maintain. Tesco, for example, has a GM free policy but this has been vitiated because their own brand American long grain rice was recently contaminated with Bayer CropScience's genetically modified American long-grain GM rice variety LL601. It was discovered in two packs of Tesco dried American long grain rice. This is illegal in the EU and the USA, yet it managed to get into the shops in Ireland. That is how penetrative it is.

Monsanto is behind most of this. Monsanto claims, through Mr. Robert Shapiro, the chief executive officer, to be interested in all kinds of ideals of feeding the world and so on. In the introduction to the book Genetic Roulette it is recounted that somebody who was idealistically motivated by the speeches, words and writings of Mr. Shapiro took a job there and was told by senior management that what Robert Shapiro says is one thing but what they do is something else. They are there to make money. He is the front man who tells a story. They do not even understand what he is saying. That is what we are dealing with. A scientific committee which was established in the United Kingdom made certain quite worrying findings. Subsequently it was disbanded. It is time we looked at the question of genetically modified food, the idea of patenting life forms and the questions raised about whether there can be pollution of neighbouring areas from genetically modified crops. There have been court cases about that where neighbouring farmers found their crops were contaminated but were then sued by Monsanto. The judgment of the Canadian court was that regardless of whether the farmer was responsible, and it was found he had not stolen the material, he was responsible. He owed money to Monsanto precisely because it had patented the life form and was entitled to a return on it, regardless of whether he had taken it from elsewhere or planted it. It was due to the fact that it crept in——

Joe O'Toole (Independent)
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Your time is up, Senator.

David Norris (Independent)
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This is an extraordinary takeover of our food resources and the Government would be right to resist it.

Déirdre de Búrca (Green Party)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House and the opportunity to speak about the Government policy on food safety and health promotion.

The point has been made already that the food sector is an important sector in the Irish economy. It is estimated that it directly employs approximately 300,000 people and that in 2006, the sectors of food retailing and tourism, respectively, contributed €12 billion and €5.9 billion to the economy, almost €20 billion between them. It is clearly a very important sector and our national policy on food safety is central to protecting the reputation of our food sector and improving the image of Irish food exports abroad.

I am delighted that my Green Party colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Sargent, is now the Minister of State with responsibility for food and horticulture at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. He has a major interest in the issue of food and food safety and the promotion of Irish food internationally as a quality product.

I look forward to many of the initiatives my colleague will support and promote during his term of office. In the programme for Government, some of the goals that have been agreed will make a positive contribution towards general food safety and food promotion here, one of them being the agreement to convert a minimum of 5% of national acreage to organic farmland by 2012. That will be no small feat because currently less than 1% of our farmland nationally is dedicated to organic farming and as we are aware, organic produce offers significant health benefits to consumers because it is produced without the use of chemical herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers.

I recently attended, with the Minister of State, Deputy Sargent, a meeting of the Irish Organic Trust in the Brook Lodge Hotel in my constituency of Wicklow, which has put itself on the map as the leading Irish hotel with the only fully certified organic restaurant. Some frustration was expressed by those involved in organic farming about the difficulties they are experiencing in trying to access organic produce. The chief executive of Flahavan's spoke at the AGM and told us he has to import 90% of organic oatlets for the organic porridge he sells because it is impossible to source organic oats here. We must provide many incentives to encourage conventional farmers to be part of the move to dedicating a greater percentage of our national acreage to organic farming. The more organic produce we can produce here, the more it will enhance the reputation of the food we are producing because there is a growing consumer demand for organic produce which Ireland would be foolish not to exploit. We have a strong green image and given the growing public concerns about genetically modified foods, which other speakers mentioned also, it is important that Ireland would capitalise on its clean, green image and the opportunity to develop this island as a GM-free island. I was delighted to see that objective in the current programme for Government and the decisions recently made in Brussels by the Government reflected that change in emphasis.

Other European countries have clearly placed restrictions on GM organisms and produce ranging from Austria, which has a strong ban, to other countries, in particular regions in France, Italy and so on, which have strong organic markets and restrictions on the growing and cultivation of GM produce. It is important to point out, however, that there are difficulties because of WTO rules which are placing great pressure on the European Union to open its markets fully to GM produce, often coming from very large producers such as the United States, Australia, Canada and so on. We must have an enlightened policy at EU level. I hope that the fact that many individual member states already have these restrictions in place, and Ireland will join them in having a very proactive policy on becoming a GM-free island, will be reflected in the kinds of decisions that are made within the Council of Ministers in the coming years.

Another issue close to this one is the issue of GM feed and the current dependence of Irish farmers on imported GM feed. Unfortunately, Irish consumers are not aware that in terms of much of the meat they are eating, the animals have been fed GM feed because it is the most affordable feed available to the majority of farmers. Those who have expressed an interest and sought to source non-GM feed find it prohibitively expensive. There is an onus on the Government, given the commitment we have made in the programme for Government, to work towards making Ireland GM-free. We must help farmers and the farming sector to access affordable GM-free feed to ensure that Irish consumers can be confident that the meat they are eating is genuinely GM-free.

That leads on to the issue of labelling. Currently, food must be labelled as GM if it contains above 0.9% of GM ingredients. An EU wide survey of food products was carried out in 2006 — it was carried out here by the State Laboratory. Unfortunately, low levels of GM rice that had been illegally imported from the US were found in five out of the 19 food products it examined. That obliged food retailers like Tesco and Marks & Spencer to withdraw those products from their shelves. The correct labelling of food is essential to a healthy food sector and is something consumers are increasingly demanding. It is important that if there are GM ingredients in the food we are eating, they should be clearly labelled as such. There should be proper implementation of the requirement that any foods containing over 0.9% of GM ingredients would be so labelled.

On a related issue, I am delighted that the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, is present because in his brief he would probably be aware that an EU directive on food supplements was adopted in 2002 but it is being implemented in different phases. Currently, maximum permitted levels of food supplements are being set by the EU Commission, and the Irish health food sector is extremely concerned about that. When we talk about healthy food we must also recognise that many natural food supplements would come under this heading. It is of concern to the health food sector here that maximum limits are being set that appear to be unduly precautionary, extremely prohibitive and that will have a negative impact on the health food sector and on the growing discipline of nutritional therapists. They are currently lobbying the Government for a slightly more flexible approach to the setting of these limits by the EU Commission. I hope the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, will be able to use his position to advocate for the interests of the Irish health food sector in the discussions that take place with the EU Commission.

Phil Prendergast (Labour)
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I wish to share my time with Senator Buttimer.

Joe O'Toole (Independent)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Phil Prendergast (Labour)
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I am delighted to be part of this debate and welcome the Minister of State to the House. Many of the issues have been raised already and I will not go into them again. The other day, a baker informed me that while he is obliged to list all ingredients on a product label, there is no obligation to list the products used in wrappers, many of which are sprayed with chemicals. I had never considered this issue before but it is a matter of concern. He also pointed out that preservatives and chemicals are used to keep food fresh, a word I use advisedly. Is legislation planned to oblige manufacturers to inform consumers that chemicals have been added to keep products fresh?

I am concerned at the frequency with which environmental health officers visit fast food outlets, particularly those which operate late at night. The temperature at which foods are stored and the condition of other facilities in such outlets is a matter of concern.

The Minister of State noted the increased complexity of food safety in the area of genetically modified organisms. I also acknowledge Senator de Búrca's contribution on this issue. The Minister of State noted:

Although Ireland has traditionally adopted a precautionary but positive approach, the Irish public appears to be divided on this issue. Government policy in this area is currently being re-evaluated to ensure that as far as possible the views of supporters and opponents of the use of GMOs are taken into account.

When will this re-evaluation be completed? Who is contributing to the debate? In what forum is information on GMO foods being collated?

It was interesting to learn that when animals fed GMO foods are sold on, there is no obligation to label the resulting food products as GM modified. It is a serious error to allow members of the public to be denied the full facts.

Recently, I had occasion, as a former employee in the health service, to visit a boys' school to speak to a group of young transition year students on diet, healthy living and exercise. We had great fun during a debate on childhood obesity and the students made a knowledgeable and substantial contribution to the discussion. We talked about the importance of having breakfast and drinking water and I asked them to take part in an experiment. Instead of having breakfast rolls for lunch, they were told to eat the home cooked ham for lunch. I was aware that this product was supplied to the outlet they visited to buy lunch. Later that day, the shopkeeper in question contacted me to tell me I had not done him any favours as he had been left with many unsold sausages, rashers and eggs because the children had chosen a healthier option. This small experiment had an effect because the students tried an alternative and some of the them changed their lunchtime choices.

It takes five hours to burn off 300 calories — the equivalent of three digestive biscuits — if one is sitting and one hour if one engages in moderate walking. Awareness is lacking about the extent of over-eating. A survey on portion size indicated that a regular lunch consisting of a 250 ml soft drink, a 25g packet of crisps, two slices of bread with a slice of cooked meat and a chocolate bar contains 702 calories, which would make a substantial contribution to a person's daily calorie intake. It has now become normal to sell lunches consisting of a 500 ml soft drink, a 40g packet of crisps, three slices of bread with two slices of cooked meat and a chocolate bar. Such a lunch contains 1,294 calories but because it is not labelled, people are not aware that it makes a major contribution to obesity. The large increase in the incidence of childhood obesity has major economic and health implications. Childhood obesity has caused a large increase in the incidence of diabetes. At any given time, 70% of those who have diabetes are not aware they suffer from the condition. It is easy to diagnose the disease by performing a simple blood test. The absence of proper labelling and the practice of labelling sugar in a variety of different guises means we are not aware of what exactly we are eating.

I am concerned to learn that it is possible to add breadcrumbs to food sourced in other countries and then label it as manufactured in Ireland. This is dishonest and dangerous practice. We need to have a proper analysis of the contents of food items to allow us to make informed and safe choices.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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It was Socrates who said that we should eat to live and not live to eat. Herein lies our predicament. The food industry is worth almost €20 billion per annum. At minimum, we must have safe food. The role of the Food Safety Authority and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is to pursue this objective. An unpublished Food Safety Authority report suggests the organisation has turned a blind eye — perhaps "averted its gaze" is a more appropriate description — to the issue of food labelling and traceability.

Ordinary people, whether they have dinner at 1 p.m. or 6 p.m., eat a home-cooked meal or purchase food in a restaurant or on their way from work, must have confidence that the food they eat is safe. Senators on all sides of the political divide agree on the need to protect consumers and address the misinformation in food labelling and food safety. In a fine contribution, Senator O'Sullivan discussed in detail the whole issue of food.

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Mary Coughlan, must take a strong stance on Brazilian beef. Irish farmers and consumers should be told that the European Union, particularly Ireland, will not become a haven for Brazilian beef. For how much longer can we tolerate the current position? I attended an IFA briefing on Brazilian beef imports. The association is not scare-mongering and it is clear we have reached the point at which we can go no further. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher, to vigorously pursue this matter with the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. We must have confidence in food.

The Fine Gael Party proposed the establishment of a single food label for all Irish products which, I understand, would be known as "Green Ireland". Such an initiative would increase brand recognition of Irish products abroad. Senator Ned O'Sullivan referred to Irish beef being sold in restaurants here. We should be proud to market Irish food on international markets. Senator Bradford referred to food miles. The global market has become a global village. We need to have a single, simple recognisable brand for all Irish foods. I accept, however, that considerable efforts are being made in this area.

European Union regulations do not always take cognisance of local conditions pertaining to food. I concur with Senators O'Toole and O'Sullivan on the issue of vegetables. Some years ago, Dinny and his free range eggs in the television programme, "Glenroe", highlighted the fact that we must examine how to produce good food and offer choice in the home market. Many large retail outlets do not use Irish vegetables or meat.

I concur with the Minister of State regarding health promotion. The food pyramid idea should be used in schools in educating young people, but we are being disingenuous at one level. The Department does considerable marketing work in respect of fresh food and healthy options, but the national healthy eating campaign is diluted by a lack of adequate physical education facilities and inadequate PE teacher staffing levels in many instances. Recently, I met a PE teacher in my constituency who has been qualified for four years or five years and cannot get a full-time job. Despite being serious about the campaign, we are taking away from the good work of the Department. In this respect, will the Minister of State discuss the provision of PE facilities with the Minister for Education and Science?

Will the Minister of State consider traceability? We must address the imbalance. If we are to promote nutritional food, we must ensure adequate traceability. A host of regulations on the clear labelling of meat and other foodstuffs imported from outside Europe are being introduced at EU level. These comprise a minimum prerequisite.

On the hazardous analysis and critical control points system in operation in every chain of supply, be it regarding fast food outlets or restaurants, I agree with Senator O'Sullivan concerning the provision of fast food at certain events. How adequately are these outlets policed by environmental health officers? Sometimes, we read court reports in newspapers telling of how some restaurants have been closed because they do not adhere to the structures, etc. In tandem with the Food Safety Authority, these closures inspire confidence, which Ireland needs. Our nation used to produce marvellous food. I do not comprehend why the clean, nutritious and healthy food produced in Ireland, as compared with other types of food, is not used in Irish restaurants in cities and towns everywhere.

I thank the Minister of State for attending the House and I commend him on his work. Much is being done, but there is more to be done. We are turning a blind eye in many respects. I look forward to the Minister of State's reply.

Francis O'Brien (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Gallagher, to the House. I will take my first opportunity in the House to congratulate him on his position and re-election to Dáil Éireann. It was a wonderful victory. I disagree with Senator Buttimer's statement to the effect that we used to produce good food. He should rephrase his statement, as we are still producing excellent food.

Good food information is important. The public wants good regulation and labelling of foodstuffs, the need for which has never been greater. The Government recognises the importance of labelling. The Departments of Health and Children and Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have produced a significant body of work in this regard. In the past year, a programme of consultation resulted in draft national legislation on country of origin labelling. The legislation is intended to extend mandatory country of origin food labelling to sheep, pig and poultry meats. I urge the Departments to move quickly because they will need to show the draft legislation to the European Commission to allow it and other member states an opportunity to comment.

It is intended that the term "country of origin" will be defined as the country where the animal, bird or meat contained in a product spent most of its life. If this differs from the country of slaughter, both countries must be indicated. The proposed regulations will apply to meat and to products comprised of at least 70% meat in weight. The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Coughlan, has pressed this issue at EU level to ensure consumers are provided with full information on the origins of food products. It is important to note that the industry has a responsibility as well.

The Food Safety Authority report, entitled The Labelling of Food in Ireland 2007, aims to clarify any confusion as to what food labels should contain. It will benefit consumers by enabling them to make informed decisions based on accurate and clear food labelling information. All food labelling should provide sufficient information to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions. Given that label space is limited, it is accepted that it may be necessary to distinguish between the information that must and should be provided. It is good that proper labelling should encourage healthier food choice. Food labelling should never mislead consumers and I will always speak out against bad labelling.

As food labelling should be clear, consistent and understandable, we need a simplified text. Many changes are imminent in food control activity, most of which will come from Brussels. The EU has been and will continue to be the main driver of change in terms of food safety. It is important that Ireland continues to be an active participant in the decision-making process. I do not disagree with Senator Buttimer but he made a slight error——

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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On a point of information, I meant we should continue to produce good quality food in the vast quantities we did previously. I take Senator O'Brien's remarks.

Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)
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Cuirim fáilte roimh an Leas Aire. Food safety is a major issue and has been underlined this week by the report of the EU Food and Veterinary Office, FVO, on Brazilian beef production and the confirmation that foot and mouth disease has been discovered in Cyprus. The FVO report proves that serious irregularities and shortcomings exist on Brazilian farms and in processing plants. It also confirms the allegations that have been made by farmers' groups here in regard to the import of beef from Brazil and the findings of an IFA investigation into Brazilian production methods.

The FVO report shows irregularities in animal registration, identification, vaccination and breaches of EU residency requirements. Most seriously it discovered that meat that ought to be deemed ineligible for export to the EU was being falsely certified in order to be avoid import controls. It was also found that foot and mouth disease is still present in the Mato Grosso region from where most EU imported Brazilian beef originates.

The report puts beyond doubt the need for the EU to impose a ban on Brazilian imports until producers there can prove that they comply with the stringent regulations that are applied to EU producers and processors. It also underlines the need for the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Coughlan, to change her stance on this issue and support a ban, in line with the demands of Irish farming organisations and consumers.

The discovery of foot and mouth disease in Cyprus is also a cause for concern. It is the same strain that was responsible for the last outbreak in Britain and the one that is most common in Brazil. That raises the question of where the strain originated and how it infected EU herds. That was never satisfactorily explained and emphasises the importance of strict controls on imports.

This country has a good record on animal diseases and was able to limit the effects of the last outbreak of foot and mouth disease and ensure recent outbreaks of animal disease in Britain were not transmitted here. That was due to the effectiveness of controls in both parts of the island and in which my party colleague Ms Michelle Gildernew, Minister for Agriculture in the Northern Ireland Executive, played a full part.

To ensure that this country retains and strengthens its high standards in food safety it is vital we have an all-Ireland approach in which the two Departments co-operate fully. Sinn Féin will be doing its part in both parts of the island to ensure that this is the case.

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a chur in iúil dos na Seanadóirí a ghlac pairt sa díospóireacht fíor-thábhachtach seo. Beidh mé ag cur san áireamh na pointí éagsúla a chur siad os comhair an tSeanaid inniu.

I thank Senators from all sides for their contributions to this important debate on food safety and health promotion, for which I have responsibility. There is considerable consensus on the issues discussed, particularly on ensuring the consumer is fully protected and informed. One of the most important issues raised was food labelling and the potential for misleading labelling. Central to the issue of labelling is that the consumer should not be misled and that labels should provide clear, understandable information that will inform consumers and allow them to make appropriate choices. There should be no question of labelling deceiving the public. I will immediately investigate such suggestions if they are brought to the attention of my Department. Misleading information is unacceptable and, in the context of the recast of EU labelling regulations which I mentioned earlier, Ireland will be pressing to ensure the issue of misleading, or potentially misleading, labelling is addressed. We should not, however, adopt a siege mentality. We should not lose sight of the fact that Ireland is a major food exporter and we have no national interest in undermining the concept of international trade in foodstuffs.

Many speakers raised the importation of beef, in particular Brazilian beef, and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Coughlan, has a particular interest in this issue. She has actively pursued the matter with the EU Commission and will continue to do so. Senators referred to the FVO report, as a result of the March mission to Brazil, which was made available yesterday. I look forward to reading this report, which is welcomed by the Government, Deputy Coughlan and me. Deputy Coughlan said it would be helpful in the overall process of ensuring equivalence.

Senators raised a number of points that do not fall within my remit but I will ensure that the Minister is fully briefed on these. The gluten-free issue was raised and this is significant, given the high level of coeliac disease in this country. This issue will be discussed at next week's Codex meeting and Irish officials will be putting proposals to address the problem of potentially misleading information being given to those who have this condition.

GMOs were mentioned in the House and in my speech. Government policy is being re-evaluated and I suggest we await the outcome of this process. This re-evaluation will be completed soon. It is being co-ordinated by the Department of the Taoiseach through a senior officials group of EU affairs. It will then be considered by the relevant Ministers. The question of food contact materials falls in the remit of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and I will ensure the concerns expressed will be brought to his attention.

I concur with the points on obesity and diabetes. These are emerging health issues with significant potential consequences for many people. One of the key issues is exercise and physical activity, and we are fortunate that throughout this country we have a wide network of voluntary clubs in which people give their time and commitment to ensuring that children and young people have ready access to sport. I do not have to convince Members of this House of the tremendous investment by the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism over recent years. Even more important is the investment of resources, time and effort by many voluntary organisations throughout the country. If that were to be converted into euro it would total many millions. It complements the investment by the State. I commend the positive contribution of those voluntary organisations to our society and to the health and welfare of our children. Long may we continue to benefit from this voluntary aspect of our society. Various issues were raised, particularly the availability of sports facilities in schools, as requested. I will bring that to the attention of the Minister for Education and Science.

I do not have to outline for the House the major capital investment that has been made in education in recent years. Integral to all these developments is the necessity to provide sports facilities in all schools. Reference was also made to the importation of vegetables to Ireland. Of course, we would prefer import substitution, however, this does not lie with the Government alone but with the private sector. We would like to think we could substitute for many items that are imported.

Senators referred to the food pyramid. I was very impressed by the food pyramid and the suggestions made by the Department. We should familiarise ourselves with the pyramid and try to prevail on others, particularly our young people, to eat the type of food that is best for them and thus ensure they may not suffer from obesity and its effects.

We are victims of the success of our economy. While the Government, the Department and State agencies can advise, each is responsible for his or her health and parents have a major responsibility to ensure healthy food is provided for children.

In conclusion, I am pleased to have the opportunity to address the House on the important topic of food safety and health promotion. Members can be assured that while I was out of the House, I listened attentively to the contributions. I thank Members for their contributions and I look forward to further debate in the future.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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That concludes the statements. When is it proposed to sit again?

Dan Boyle (Green Party)
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At 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 13 November 2007.