The recent Phillips report in the UK on BSE has served to highlight the cost of secrecy and paternalism. That report was 16 volumes long, took two and a half years to complete and cost £27 million. In the UK more than 80 people have died so far from new variant CJD. Millions of cattle have been slaughtered and it has cost the beef industry in the order of £4 billion. Above all else, the Phillips report emphasises the cost of secrecy, the inability to communicate and the paternalistic approach of Ministers, civil servants and scientists alike as far as the public is concerned. It is against that background that it is crucial the public is kept informed of the status of BSE and new variant CJD, the measures agreed to deal with BSE, how these are implemented and who will take responsibility for that implementation.
Despite repeated assurances that Ireland has a very effective plan for dealing with BSE, the numbers of reported cases continue to increase annually and, this year, the numbers were the highest to date. The continued use of meat and bonemeal after the ban was imposed in 1990 plus the long incubation period for BSE are two factors which are considered to have contributed to that continuing increase. It is important that the full testing of livestock intended for slaughter should now be introduced without delay in Ireland. The health of the population as well as the security of the export meat trade will be targets for speculation and uncertainty unless a comprehensive and reliable testing programme is in place.
The issue of the disposal of carcases must be addressed. Within the guidelines proposed by the EU, it will be impossible to cope with the disposal of carcases if the current system continues. The recent reports of carcases being buried close to a water supply is an indication of the inadequacy of the current system. While that has now changed and interim measures are in place to hold suspect or infected carcases in cold storage, that cannot be allowed continue indefinitely. Leaving aside the need for a facility to store carcases, the Minister needs to provide a safe means of final disposal. If we are to have confidence in the system which deals with the disposal of BSE infected carcases, the issue of incineration must be re-examined.
The origins of BSE are traceable to contaminated animal feed which worked its way in ever increasing circles into the food chain. The practice of feeding bovine protein to cows sparked a chain letter type effect of BSE in cattle and variant CJD in humans in the UK. In the UK also, misleading assurances and incorrect extrapolations led to what can be described as mismanagement, misuse, misinterpretation and miscommunication of science. There are too many unknowns in BSE and a commitment must be made to substantial research investment so that developments can be monitored and understood as they pertain to Ireland.
The European Union has set out recommendations for animal feed. In Ireland, mammalian meat and bonemeal may not be fed to cattle, sheep, goats or deer. However, it can still be manufactured under licence and may be kept on land or premises where there are ruminants provided the storage is licensed. Statements such as "persons who store or transport mammalian meat and bone meal shall take all necessary precautions to ensure that it does not contaminate any other product" do not inspire confidence. Knowing the history of meat and bonemeal in the BSE disaster, it is naive or worse to allow any mammalian meat and bonemeal into the food chain. Its manufacture should be stopped now. We also know at this stage that BSE crosses the species barrier and that is a further reason to reconsider the use of any mammalian meat and bonemeal.
The role of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development in monitoring and ensuring food safety should be reviewed. It is not appropriate that the Department with responsibility for the marketing and promotion of live animals and meat should, at the same time, have responsibility for ensuring safety within the human food chain. The possibility that one infected cow could infect 400,000 people is stark. For this reason, it is urgent that testing of all animals intended for slaughter be introduced. BSE, as well as crossing the species barrier, has crossed national boundaries and the health and trade consequences are now being experienced. National discussions are no longer adequate to deal with this problem and, while I welcome the co-ordination and enforcement recommended by Commissioner Byrne, it needs to go further.