Vol. 481 No. 1
16 Mr. Coveney asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will report on the investigations, if any, which his Department has made into allegations by German customs officials that beef they seized recently bearing Irish stamps originated in the United Kingdom. [15435/97]
I welcome the Opposition spokesman on Agriculture and Food. As a Corkman I wish another Corkman well in the post. I also take the opportunity to wish members of his family well on their expedition and wish them safety on their journey.
I am glad of the opportunity to clarify the position with regard to allegations which have been repeated on a number of occasions in the recent past of the illegal export of UK beef as an Irish product. Over the last two months the EU Commission has undertaken two separate investigations into the illegal export of UK beef.
The first investigation arose from the discovery of beef with UK markings in Dutch and French cold stores. Some of this beef bore veterinary control labels indicating an Irish origin. An investigation was jointly undertaken by my Department and by the EU Commission's anti-fraud unit. The conclusions were that there was no evidence whatsoever of any Irish involvement.
The most recent investigation arose in connection with seizures of beef by the customs authorities in France and Germany. Ireland was one of the several member states whose assistance was sought. The conclusions of the investigations undertaken in Ireland by both the special investigation unit of my Department and the EU Commission were that the beef in question was shipped illegally from the UK using false Irish documentation. I would like to emphasise that there is no evidence of fraudulent involvement of Irish beef or Irish meat export plants nor is there evidence that the beef was shipped through Irish territory. I should also make clear that none of the beef seized bore Irish health marks.
The controls on the production and movement of Irish beef are very stringent and ensure that only product which is clearly identifiable as Irish beef produced in export approved plants in Ireland under official supervision receives the necessary official veterinary certification to allow it to be exported. In addition there are extensive controls at the Border with Northern Ireland to prevent illegal imports of cattle or beef. The Army operates controls on a 24 hour basis. The Garda Síochána has a series of static and rolling checkpoints. The customs authorities and my Department staff are on call on a 24 hour basis. I am satisfied, therefore, that there are no grounds for questioning the integrity of beef exports from Ireland.
To counter any possible damaging effects of the publication of allegations, such as those which appeared recently, my Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Bord Bia continue to clarify the position regarding Irish beef in all markets of importance to us. I have made the position clear to my German and French ministerial colleagues in whose countries the reports first appeared.
I thank the Minister for his kind remarks. In a radio interview about a week ago a German importer of Irish beef who was obviously well disposed to that product emphasised that an erroneous perception could constitute a setback to our marketing efforts on the German market. Has the Minister or Bord Bia any plans to promote, advertise or by other means get across the message he did so comprehensively here today in an effort to alleviate the concerns of German consumers resulting from this dastardly act by people who are certainly not well disposed to this country or its products? Does the Minister intend taking any steps to maintain a high profile for Irish beef and to entirely dissociate himself and this country from that activity?
I accept what Deputy Coveney has said, that the image of any food product is vital and that any wrong or erroneous perception causes great difficulty in the marketplace. I have availed of the opportunity to apprise all our embassies of the position so that they may clarify any specific queries raised and obtain any favourable media coverage in the countries concerned. In addition, Bord Bia is undertaking a similar promotion and information campaign. I met the German and French Ministers for Agriculture individually. They totally accept, as does the entire European Commission, that there was no Irish involvement nor was Irish territory used for the transportation of illegal beef. Nonetheless I have availed of the opportunity to ensure that all the agencies involved are fully apprised of the precise position and will use their good offices to ensure the maintenance of the high reputation of Irish beef throughout the marketplace.
