Vol. 482 No. 8
132 Mr. L. Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he has satisfied himself that the use of angel dust by some farmers is on the wane as a result of recent court cases; if he has satisfied himself that sufficient checks are in place to prevent its recurrence which did much to damage the good name of the Irish meat industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19520/97]
Monitoring carried out by my Department indicates that there has been a significant reduction in the use of clenbuterol, also known as angel dust, in the past few years. In 1993, for example, 3.77 per cent of samples tested were positive for clenbuterol. This level has declined each year since and in the first nine months of 1997 no samples analysed were found to be positive for clenbuterol.
During the past year there have been 48 prosecutions for offences relating to the use of clenbuterol at earlier dates. In 47 cases convictions were secured. The courts have imposed fines in excess of £150,000. Terms of imprisonment were imposed on 17 individuals, five of these terms were suspended. A number of these sentences are under appeal.
While I am satisfied that significant progress has been achieved, there can, of course, be no room for complacency in regard to this area. My Department will continue to monitor the ongoing situation and where any abuses are detected, I am determined that the full rigours of the law will continue to be applied in the interests of consumer safety and the good name of the Irish food industry.
