asked the Minister for Agriculture the action, if any, he proposes to take in having east European preserved and frozen soft fruit imports banned from Ireland, particularly in view of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which may have contaminated such soft fruits.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Soft Fruit Imports.
7.
The importation of agricultural products and of processed agricultural products, including preserved and frozen soft fruit, into this country, as into the other member states of the EC, is governed by Community regulations. In the wake of the Chernobyl disaster these regulations permit the importation of such products from east European and other third countries only where they comply with specified maximum permitted radiation levels. It is not open to me under the regulations to introduce a complete ban on such imports. In any event imports of east European preserved and frozen soft fruit into Ireland are nil or negligible.
Is the Minister aware that the strawberry and soft fruit growers, mainly the concern of County Wexford, have a different opinion and feel that cheap imports from east European countries are having a disastrous effect on their crops as there has been a 30 per cent reduction in crop returns this year?
Will the Deputy ask a short question?
I did ask a short question.
The Deputy made a short speech.
Does the Minister accept that the growers are correct in stating that imports from east European countries are flooding this country? They are coming through the back door from England. The soft fruit industry in County Wexford is in a disastrous state because of bad weather.
As the Deputy is aware, I met the county committee at his behest and we had a long discussion on the problem. As a result of statements made I investigated the matter of imports from east European countries. The country in question is Poland. Last year 11 tons of raspberry pulp and three tons of strawberry pulp came in here from Poland. If the Deputy is aware of anything else I would be glad to hear from him.
How can the Minister justify the importation of soft fruit from countries outside the EC particularly since they are self-sufficient? Is the Minister aware that jam being manufactured in Northern Ireland from such fruit pulp is being sold extensively in this part of the country? This pulp is being imported from Poland and since Wales has been affected by radiation from Chernobyl, surely to goodness it would follow that Poland was affected far more seriously? Yet the Government continue to allow soft fruit pulp into the country.
The Deputy is making a speech now.
This is a very serious subject.
No matter how serious it is, it does not warrant a speech at Question Time.
Does the Minister intend to continue to allow this contaminated food into this country?
We had a session on this yesterday and I do not want a repetition of it today because all we are doing is damaging our own image as well as the image of the EC. The standards laid down by the EC are laid down by perfectionists. I want to make it clear in this House that anything arriving into the EC is safe food.
I would like to point out that food generally in this country is the cleanest in the world. I do not see how we are interfering with our image——
I am calling on Deputy Noonan.
(Limerick West): Have any tests been carried out and, if so, what are the results of those tests?
Anything coming in, such as soft fruit and horticultural produce, is undergoing exactly the same tests as our own products and there has been no problem to date.
It is a shame to be bringing it in when we have our own.