Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 16 May 2001

Vol. 536 No. 3

Written Answers - Food Safety Standards.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

89 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development his proposals at national level, jointly with the Northern Ireland authorities or through the aegis of the European Union, to introduce a strict food production regime with a view to achieving a supreme standard in terms of quality, husbandry and processing of meat and other food products having particular regard to the lessons learned in the course of the foot and mouth disease outbreak; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14019/01]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh)

Legislation on food safety is determined at EU level. On 12 January 2000 the European Commission published a White Paper on Food Safety which proposed a strategy to achieve the highest possible standards of protection for the EU consumer. The proposed strategy involves two elements: a draft regulation establishing an independent European Food Authority and setting out the general principles of food law, and legislative programme of over 80 separate measures to be introduced over a period of three years or so.

This programme includes measures in relation to food hygiene along with the production, control and marketing of products of animal origin and animal health issues in relation to the production of those products. In all, 17 directives dating back to 1964 will be revised in four proposed new regulations that will provide for: hygiene of foodstuffs, hygiene of food of animal origin, animal health rules governing the production, marketing and importation of products of animal origin intended for human consumption, and controls on products of animal origin intended for human consumption.

My intention in negotiating these proposals is to ensure that the highest possible levels of public health protection in relation to all food production will apply.

Work is proceeding at EU level on the proposed strategy with the aim, in particular, of establishing the European Food Authority by early 2002.

Over the last three months I have had a number of meetings with the Northern Ireland Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Ms. Bríd Rodgers, both within the North-South Ministerial Council and outside at which animal health issues were discussed. At a special meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council, held on 6 April to discuss the foot and mouth crisis, we agreed that officials of the two departments would develop a strategy for the control of animal movements on the island of Ireland drawing on work done in both jurisdictions, and in the light of the experience gained from the current foot and mouth disease outbreaks, consider the means of prevention, containment and eradication of future epizootic disease outbreaks on the island.

An expert group was established by my Department to review quality assurance schemes in the food area and to make recommendations on how greater coherence and clarity might be achieved in this whole area for the ultimate benefit of the consumer and the food industry. The group has finalised its report and I will be making a public announcement on this matter very shortly.