I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 61 together.
I am aware of the recent case in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. No blame was attached by the court to any Department official and nobody from the Department has been on trial.
These matters were also referred to in the beef tribunal report and the tribunal indicated that having heard the evidence it was satisfied that there was no agreement between the Department staff and the representatives of the company with regard to the irregular activities which occurred there.
The tribunal did comment on the inadequacy of the number of staff employed by the Department in the various meat processing plants throughout the country, mainly at peak periods, and suggested this as a reason for failure to prevent or discover irregularities. However, chapter 25 of the tribunal report sets out the measures taken by the Department to prevent a recurrence of events such as these mentioned in the court case. The tribunal expressed itself as generally satisfied with the measures taken to streamline and improve the control systems. I would like to add that, following the completion of the criminal case, a review of all matters relating to the Department's staff at this meat plant is already under way.
In regard to the precise steps taken to streamline and improve controls at meat plants, I would refer the Deputy to chapter 25 of the beef tribunal report to which I have already referred. This sets out the control changes in considerable detail.