asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he is aware that there is great dissatisfaction in the town of Clonmel by reason of the fact that the factory there owned by Chappie Ireland Limited has been closed down for some considerable time, thereby depriving over 100 Clonmel people of employment; that it is believed that the factory is not working because he has refused to allow this firm to export to the Continent canned meat the chief constituent of which is Irish horseflesh in tins embossed with the words "Horse Meat" or "Horse Flesh", unless the tins also bear the words "Dog Food" or the words "Not fit for human consumption"; and, if so, whether he will explain his reasons for preventing the export of this meat in tins bearing a true description of the contents of the tins.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Clonmel Canned Meat Factory.
The answer to the first and the second parts of the question is no.
This firm was established for the purpose of exporting dog food to Great Britain but the British authorities declined to permit import. That is the real difficulty. The firm then proposed to export canned dog food to the Continent, and subsequently they sought licences to export canned horse for human consumption.
I have already explained publicly that, in the national interest, I cannot agree to the export of canned horse for human consumption. I am satisfied that, to allow such export, would seriously prejudice the reputation of this country as an exporter of high class meat which it is my duty to maintain, and would, therefore, be injurious to the interests of the country generally.
The company in question has received licences to export substantial quantities of horseflesh as dog food. The most recent licence was issued this week.
There is nothing to prevent this company from entering the canned beef trade. In fact I suggested to them that they should do so many months ago, after I had negotiated a 10,000 ton order with the British Ministry of Food, and I pointed out that there was a market on the Continent as well as in Great Britain, to a share of which they would receive every facility for catering. This company has approached the Department on this matter on many occasions and through divers channels; various proposals for the full employment of manufacturing capacity have been approved, but they are apparently wedded to the project of exporting canned horse for human consumption, and that is a trade activity which I can neither encourage nor allow, without gravely compromising the interests of our valuable and growing cooked and canned meat industry.