Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 463: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the frequency with which tests for carbadox in food or feed is carried out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23670/05]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 464: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of samples of pigmeat, and blood samples from pigs which have been tested on behalf of her Department for carbadox in the years 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and to date; the number which tested positive for carbadox; the number taken from imported products; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23671/05]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 466: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the kind of test procedure carried out by her Department when testing for carbadox in animal feed, in food samples and in blood samples from animals suspected of being tainted with the banned substance; the accuracy of the test methods used; if the test method is a standard method and is carried out to correspond in accuracy with a reference method; if the method allows absolute confirmation of the substance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23673/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 463, 464 and 466 together.

Details of porcine liver samples analysed under the national residue monitoring programme for the banned substance carbadox in the years in question are set out as follows:

No samples of imported product were tested for carbadox during the period in question. In this regard the following needs to be borne in mind: Under Single Market rules, a member state is precluded from routinely checking imports either from other member states, or from third countries which have already been cleared into free circulation through another member state: third country exports are allowed into the EU only where the country concerned has satisfied the EU Commission that equivalent guarantees exist, that is, the Commission must be satisfied that the country concerned has in place an equivalent level of consumer protection to that in the EU in terms of legislation and controls. To monitor this, third countries are required to submit annual residue control plans and the results thereof to the Commission: third countries are subject to on-the-spot inspections by inspectors from the Commission's Food and Veterinary office to verify the existence and effectiveness of controls. Where deficiencies are found, the Commission can and does implement sanctions which can result in the approval to export to the EU being rescinded or implements safeguard decisions under which member states are obliged to carry out testing on product imported from the country in question: the effectiveness of routine testing of product from third countries for residues is in many cases of limited effectiveness since the product imported, typically muscle meat, is often not the optimum matrix in which to detect the substance or metabolite in question, bearing in mind also depletion during transport.

Ireland's national residue monitoring programme is drawn up to protect public health and to meet obligations in this regard under EU Directive 96/23. The annual programmes for the years 2001-2004 have been examined and approved by the EU Commission and the programme for 2005 is currently going through the EU approval process.

The test method used is based on gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, GCMS, technology. This is an internationally recognised method for the purpose of testing for carbadox and meets relevant scientific criteria in terms of confirmation, accuracy and repeatability.