asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will give details of the 19 cases of Irish meat found unfit for human consumption in the United Kingdom in the last year; if he will make a statement on the veterinary and health procedures each consignment was subject to before it left this country; if he has satisfied himself with the present procedures; the action he has taken to protect our national reputation as meat producers, processors and exporters; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Irish Meat Exports.
49.
A recent press report stated that the UK authorities had made 19 complaints to my Department concerning exports of meat during 1988. The complaints covered a range of problems but only a small part of one consignment, amounting to 256 Kgs. of meat, was found to be unfit for human consumption.
European Commission rules governing the production and certification of fresh meat for export to other member states are set out in Directive 64/433/EEC as amended. My Department maintains a permanent veterinary presence in all export approved factories in order to ensure that those rules are observed. I am satisfied that the present procedures are generally satisfactory and successive European Commission veterinary inspection missions have found them to be so. I would also draw attention to the statement, attributed to the UK authorities in the press report referred to, that the level of complaints about Irish meat is not high compared with meat from other sources. All complaints are fully investigated to ensure that any possible weaknesses in the system are identified and remedied.