I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on the dangers posed to the food chain by BSE. It is important that the public and those worldwide consumers of beef are reassured on these very important issues. My Department and all aspects of animal health have the most stringent worldwide controls in relation to BSE. The consumer can be absolutely assured in relation to the efficacy of that and the quality of Irish meat.
I wish to set out the procedures involved in relation to BSE. Animals that are affected with BSE are destroyed by burial or burning and no part of the carcase enters the food chain. This is part of a series of measures in place to deal with the disease: first, the disease is a notifiable one under the Disease of Animals Act, 1966; second, there is legislation in place specifying the action to be taken where BSE is suspected or diagnosed — this provides for the slaughter and destruction of affected animals and the payment of compensation to owners; third, restrictions are imposed on those herds in which cases of the disease are confirmed. There is also a programme in place for the voluntary depopulation of such herds with compensation paid at open market value. We are the only EU state, even though there is no transmission of the disease whatsoever, who depopulate the entire herd. Fourth, veterinary practitioners and the Department's veterinary staff have been alerted to the disease and have been instructed as to the measures which should be taken when BSE is suspected. Where animals presented for slaughter indicate suspicious symptoms, they are not slaughtered at the factory but are returned to the farm for further investigation by the Department's veterinary officers. If suspicion is confirmed, the animals are destroyed and buried in situ with the brain going for laboratory examination. Fifth, a prohibition has been placed on the feeding to ruminants of meat and bonemeal. That is the critical point. The reason this disease is being dealt with is that the meat and bonemeal plants were responsible for the disease going on to the next link in terms of meat and bonemeal being a source of protein in animal feed. For several years the production of meat and bonemeal has been obliterated here. It is not allowed and does not occur. Sixth, in accordance with a European Union decision, the import of cattle from the UK is not permitted.
In my discussions with the Jordanian Minister for Health, the Mexican Ambassador and Minister for Agriculture, I have been at pains to point out that there is a clear difference between the UK position and the Irish position both in control, in incidents and in eradication. Some years ago we did suffer but this is very much in the past tense. In terms of being discriminated against this is no longer a problem because there is now worldwide recognition of the quality of Irish beef.
There is no evidence whatever that BSE is infectious. For this reason no restriction is placed on meat from animals originating in herds in which an animal has been diagnosed with BSE. These are completely healthy animals and there is no scientific justification, however remote, for preventing their meat from entering the food chain. There has not been one single case in this country where a steer, a bullock, an animal for beef, has been found to have BSE.
The scientific veterinary committee, an EU Commission group of scientists, has on several occasions considered the question of BSE. It has uncovered no evidence of animal-to-animal transmission of BSE. Similarly, no evidence that BSE is transmissible to humans has been found. The scientific committee advised the Commission and the Council of Ministers on what measures should be adopted in the EU in order to minimise the risks posed by the disease and to control its spread. The committee's advice is closely adhered to in EU legislation adopted in the context of BSE. Apart from UK animals, the committee has not advised that any special measures should be taken in regard to the human consumption of meat from cattle that have not been found to be affected with BSE. We are not operating under Irish rules but under EU rules.
The committee has made recommendations in regard to meat exported from the United Kingdom and any such meat coming to Ireland must meet these standards. The EU institutions are satisfield that, in the light of the present knowledge, all measures necessary to protect human health, in the context of BSE, are in place and the controls in place in Ireland are fully in conformity with these measures. I will continue to keep under review developments on the scientific front as regards BSE.
I caution Members that any statements on this very sensitive topic are a source of propaganda by some of our competitors. It is important that at all times the truthful record is adhered to.
The Dáil adjourned at 4.30 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 23 May 1995.
