Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 451: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of pigs and cattle which have been slaughtered or are to be slaughtered as a result of the recent contamination of meat products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46263/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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My officials are currently engaged in discussions with producers and the industry with a view to putting in place the framework necessary to deal with issues relating to the slaughter of pigs and cattle that have been exposed to, or are suspected of having been exposed to contaminated animal feed. To date and apart from a small number that were slaughtered for sampling and testing purposes, no pigs or cattle have been slaughtered. The precise number of pigs and cattle that may be slaughtered has not been finalised at this stage.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 452: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the way pork products recalled from the market and those in storage which need to be destroyed will be disposed of; the amount this process is expected to cost; the timeframe during which disposal will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46264/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Following the Government announcement on 6 December 2008 that laboratory results of animal feed and pork fat samples obtained by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) confirmed the presence of dioxins, the FSAI required the food industry to recall from the market pork products produced from certain pigs slaughtered in Ireland.

Potentially contaminated pork products will be destroyed by rendering and some consignments have already been destroyed under the supervision of my Department. This material is classified as animal by-products (ABP), the disposal of which is strictly regulated under the ABP Regulation (EC) 1774 of 2002.

The recalled product is classified as Category 1 ABP under the Regulation and the options available for disposal are either through rendering at Category 1 rendering plants or export for incineration. Negotiations to ensure that this is done in the most cost effective manner are underway with a view to bringing a swift conclusion to this issue. It is envisaged that the disposal process will take a period of weeks as the material concerned is additional to the normal flow of material for disposal.

The Deputy will be aware that following agreement between my Department and the Pig Processing Sector a facility, to a maximum, of €178m has been set aside to fund the scheme for recalled pigmeat product. A specific scheme, the Pigmeat Recall Scheme is being drawn up at present and this will set out in further detail the steps to be followed by producers wishing to avail of the compensation package which the Government has put in place.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 453: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of samples which have been sent by his Department to the United Kingdom to be tested for dioxins since 2001; the cost involved in testing such samples; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46265/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Between 2001 and 2008 my Department sent 682 samples of animal feed abroad for analysis for dioxins.

In this period as the routine screening for PCBs showed negative results there was no need to send samples from animal products for analysis for dioxin. However, to-date twenty samples associated with the present incident have been sent for testing to the UK.

The cost of such tests varies between €700 and €1000 per sample, depending on numbers, sample type etc. It is expected that the State Laboratory in Backweston will be in a position to carry out the type of analysis after the first quarter of 2009.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 454: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if An Bord Bia is to be provided with additional resources in the context of the development of an international campaign aimed at restoring consumer confidence in Irish meat products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46266/08]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 460: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the funding being provided to An Bord Bia in order to fund the labelling and marketing campaign post the recall of pork products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46272/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 454 and 460 together.

Bord Bia is funding the new label campaign from existing resources and will prioritize meat promotion within its budgetary allocation for 2009.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 462: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the date and time and manner in which his Department informed the European Commission and European Food Safety Authority of the detection of PCBs in Irish pork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46275/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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On 5 December 2008 the Food Safety Authority of Ireland informed the EU Commission through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) that an investigation was being conducted by my Department in close collaboration with the FSAI into the source of a contaminant in animal feed. On 6 December 2008 the FSAI informed the European Commission that Ireland was taking steps to remove from sale all pigmeat and pigmeat products.

Following discussions between the FSAI and the EU Commission, on 8th December the EU Commission requested EFSA to provide scientific assistance on the risk for human health of the possibility of the presence of dioxins in pigmeat and pigmeat products from Ireland.