Joe Walsh
Question:1 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Taoiseach if he will elaborate on his statement (details supplied) during his recent US visit that he supported the creation of a European Food and Drug Administration to be located in Ireland. [8373/97]
Ceisteanna — Questions. - European Food and Drug Administration.
During my recent visit to the US, I met officials of the Food and Drug Administration. We discussed important issues about the separation of responsibility for primary production and consumer interests in relation to foodstuffs.
In Ireland, such separation has been provided for by the Government with the establishment of the Food Safety Authority, at present on an interim basis but soon to be established on a statutory basis. The legislation to establish the Irish Food Safety Authority will be published after Easter.
At European Union level there has also been a separation of functions with the transfer of scientific committees from DG VI, i.e. the Agriculture directorate, to DG XXIV, the Consumer matters directorate, and the creation of a new unit on the assessment of public health risks and inspection of foodstuffs in DG XXIV. In this context, the veterinary inspection units, including those to be located at Grange, County Meath, have also been transferred to DG XXIV.
However, as the Deputy will appreciate, apart from actually improving food safety which is crucial, there is a need to restore public confidence in the food industry and in the arrangements which are in place for the enforcement of safety standards. In Ireland the Food Safety Authority will perform this function but there is a need at European level for a similar structure.
While clearly national regulatory authorities such as the Food Safety Authority may meet the concerns of domestic consumers, we operate in a much larger single market where a single regulatory body across the union would be desirable. Such an EU authority could also be important in reassuring third country markets. Should such an authority be decided upon, clearly Ireland would be a very suitable location.
I was most impressed with the presentation made to me by the FDA. I was especially impressed by the fact that they make their decisions on objective scientific grounds, uninfluenced by national economic, trade or political considerations. The agency is headed by a scientist. It has strong powers, can undertake "no notice" inspections, can stop production lines and can prosecute offenders. It has won wide consumer confidence, and in conjunction with Ministers, I will be making a further study of its work and powers to draw on its expertise to enhance consumer confidence in food products in Ireland, and in Europe generally.
This matter arose from an article in The Examiner on 17 March in which the Taoiseach was quoted as saying there was a huge loss of confidence abroad in some of our food. Specifically what food products have suffered from a major loss of confidence?
I was speaking in a European context and I am referring in particular to the dramatic drop in consumption of beef that has occurred in Germany because of consumer concerns about BSE in Germany and the suggested link between BSE and CJD. That was a tangible and concrete example of loss of consumer confidence in a European food product, namely, beef. It was for that reason, as somebody who believes in a federal Europe, that I wanted to talk to the federal Food and Drug Administration in the United States which has the capacity throughout the United States Federation of enforcing good food standards. In that context the meeting was extremely useful.
In the context of the security and safety of beef, is the Taoiseach aware that the FDA in the US has no responsibility for the safety of beef products?
I am. I am aware that it is not responsible for chickens either. It is responsible for all other food products and this was one of the issues I discussed in some detail with them. There is a difference of methodology between the operation in regard to food safety inspection that is carried out by the US Department of Agriculture in respect of beef and chickens and the methodology which is used by the FDA in regard to other food products. The USDA tends to operate on the basis of having somebody in situ all the time, whereas the FDA tends to operate on the basis of "no notice" inspections from outside.
I believe the FDA model is better, and I would like to say why. It is better because it is clearly independent of producer interests and because inspections take place on a "no notice" basis. Because they are not there all the time, its people have no sense that they are responsible for any errors that may be made. The FDA is much more independent in the decisions it makes than perhaps is the USDA. That is one of the issues we need to look at in drawing on the American lessons here. It is fair to say that the Food and Drug Administration in the United States has won tremendous consumer confidence which is the envy of the world. One of the reasons is that it is so completely independent in its decisions. For instance, on one occasion when there was political pressure from within Congress and elsewhere on the FDA to ban certain European food products in retaliation for a ban that Europe had imposed on US food products, the FDA said that that was not justifiable on scientific grounds and, even though it might have been a good thing to do from an American trade policy point of view, it refused to do it because it said that its decisions were made exclusively on scientific grounds. That is a very sound principle.
I have no doubt that the Taoiseach and everybody else is concerned about the status of Irish beef and beef generally throughout Europe, but I find it incomprehensible that the Taoiseach would hold up as an example an authority that has no responsibility for a product about which he is concerned. That is why I asked him to elaborate.
There are other characteristics of that agency which are particularly important, namely, its powers, its independence and so forth which apply in regard to all other food products. Of course, the Irish Food Safety Authority which this Government is about to establish will have responsibility for beef and chicken as well as all other food products, and such disabilities as may exist in the Food and Drugs Administration in the US will not, I am glad to say, apply to the Irish Food Safety Authority.