Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 191: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the function and membership of the expert group convened by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland to provide advice to the CMO on the toxicological and medical issues arising from the detection of PCBs in pork and beef; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46273/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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An Expert Group was convened on Sunday, 7 December, by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) at the request of the Chief Medical Officer to provide detailed technical advice on toxicological and medical issues related to dioxin exposure. The Expert Group analysed available evidence on the human health effects of dioxin exposure and conducted an assessment of risk arising from projected exposure in this incident. This group also consulted with the European Food Safety Authority. The risk assessment produced by the European Food Safety Authority on Wednesday, 10 December, corroborated the initial risk assessment conducted by the FSAI and the Expert Group.

Membership of the Expert Group:

Mr John O'Brien (Chair), Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety Authority of Ireland; Dr Iona Pratt, Toxicologist, Food Safety Authority of Ireland; Dr Joe Treacy, Director of the National Poisons Information Centre, Beaumont Hospital; Prof Patrick Wall, Associate Professor of Public Health, University College Dublin; Dr Bill Tormey, Consultant Chemical Pathologist, Faculty of Pathology; Professor James Heffron, Professor of Biochemistry, University College Cork; Dr Philip Mayne, Consultant Paediatric Chemical Pathologist, Children's University Hospital, Temple Street; Prof Dan Collins, Professor of Veterinary Medicine (Retd.), University College Dublin; Dr Brian Redehan, Chief Specialist in Public Health, Food Safety Authority of Ireland; Dr Kevin Kelleher, Assistant National Director of Health Protection, Health Service Executive; Dr Dominique Crowley, Specialist in Public Health Medicine HSE; Christina Tlustos, Toxicologist, Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 192: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the discussions held with EU authorities between the 28 November 2008 and 6 December 2008 regarding the possibility of taking a decision to recall Irish pork products; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46276/08]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 215: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason the Food Safety Authority of Ireland risk analysis of the public safety implications of the dioxin scare only commenced after the decision was made to recall pork products; when the FSAI was first made aware of the contamination; when the chief medical officer of her Department was first informed of the contamination; the reason the FSAI recommended a total product recall; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46111/08]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 224: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the communication to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland over the past six weeks from the Dutch authorities; the issues and concerns raised in each such instance; the actions taken; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46180/08]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 243: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when the Food Safety Authority of Ireland initially contacted the European Food Safety Authority seeking information and assistance regarding the possibility of dioxins in food; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46388/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 192, 215, 224 and 243 together.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) first became aware of the possible contamination of Irish pig meat with PCB on 28 November 2008 when advised of the results of an analysis conducted by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. This result was confirmed on 1 December.

The FSAI's first contact with the Dutch authorities was on Thursday 4 December, when an official of the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority informed the FSAI that it was of the opinion that there was a connection between the discovery of PCBs in Irish pig meat and dioxins found in pig meat in the Netherlands. Subsequently the FSAI had several discussions with staff from the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority concerning their test results.

The Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health and Children was first informed of the contamination on the morning of Saturday 6 December.

The decision to recall products was taken on Saturday 6 December, on the basis of the information from test results on pigs from Ireland indicating the presence of high levels of PCBs and dioxin. Based on these results, the applicable legal limits and food intake data from the FSAI's total diet study, the FSAI was able to draw conclusions on the potential danger to the Irish population. A more formal assessment was later made by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which endorsed the decision to recall pork and pork products.

A total recall was recommended in order to minimise the exposure of consumers to dioxin, and because of initial difficulties in identifying the pork derived from animals which had been exposed to the contaminated feed.

On 5 December 2008, the FSAI informed the European Commission through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) that an investigation was being conducted by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in close collaboration with the FSAI into the source of a contaminant in animal feed.

On 6 December 2008, FSAI notified the European Commission that Ireland was taking steps to remove from sale all pork and bacon products. Following further discussions between the FSAI and European Commission, on 8 December the European Commission requested EFSA to provide a scientific assistance risk on the risk for human health of the possibility of the presence of dioxins in pig meat and pig meat products from Ireland.