It is proposed, by agreement, that the first speaker from each group will have ten minutes and seven minutes for each speaker thereafter. The Minister will then conclude.
Adjournment under Standing Order 29. - Effect of BSE Crisis: Motion.
Is that agreed? Agreed. The practice is for the Minister to be given 20 minutes to reply when the debate is concluded.
I move: "That the Seanad do now adjourn."
This important issue is causing widespread concern in the United Kingdom and in Ireland. Revelations in the United Kingdom that agents which cause BSE may be passed on to humans have caused widespread concern and anxiety. Medical reports from those attending CJD victims in the United Kingdom say the most likely explanation is these cases are linked to exposure to BSE before the introduction of the special bovine offal ban by the British Government in 1989.
While the problem is a British one, there is no doubt it will have a major impact on the beef industry here. There have been relatively few cases of BSE in Ireland and fairly drastic action has been taken to deal with them. The cattle were slaughtered and the carcases were destroyed. Herds were also slaughtered. We have had a very firm and drastic policy in Ireland to deal with the incidence of BSE. There have been 124 cases of BSE in a national herd of about seven million cattle since 1989. Although there is anxiety about it, the issue has been very seriously handled by successive Ministers and the Department. In cases where BSE was identified, drastic action was taken in that the herds were eliminated and the carcases destroyed.
Ireland's exports to the United Kingdom are in excess of £200 million a year. Our exports to Europe are worth about £360 million and those to the rest of the world are worth £360 million. The overall Irish beef industry is worth in excess of £2 billion a year. It is a major industry which must be protected to ensure the high standards of our beef are maintained, and that we can market it from an environment which is probably the best in Europe. It is essential to establish the healthy state of the Irish herd, otherwise our beef exports could be seriously affected.
It is a matter of concern that Irish beef exported to the UK market is not specifically labelled as being Irish. It is important that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry should ensure that Irish beef is marketed, branded and sold in a way which clearly distinguishes it from other beef products on the British market. The good environment in which our animals are raised, our grass based system of production and our low levels of BSE indicate that our beef market can be strongly defended. That is the challenge that now faces the Government.
I will also avail of this opportunity to draw the Minister's attention to the serious concern of people about public health. Regardless of the publicity surrounding this matter, people are genuinely and seriously concerned about the consumption of beef. It is important that the Minister for Health indicates what efforts he is making to allay public anxiety about public health. The British Government has undertaken extensive research into this matter and has spent a large amount of money endeavouring to establish the causes for the link between BSE and CJD.
It is important for the Minister for Health to clearly identify what action the Government will take to allay public fears about the dangers that might be attached to the consumption of beef. It is equally important to outline what contact he had with his counterpart in Britain and if there is communication and co-operation between the British and Irish health authorities with regard to this latest serious scare. The British Minister for Health has promised between £4 million and £5 million for research in this area. Perhaps our Minister for Health would indicate whether the Irish Government intends to embark on a similar research programme.
It is vitally important that we establish beyond doubt on world markets and in the minds of consumers that the Irish herd is healthy and that we are producing top quality beef. As the Minister said yesterday, it is safe to eat Irish beef. However, that message must be conveyed loudly and clearly throughout the international community. Can the Minister indicate what programme has been undertaken by the marketing boards under the aegis of his Department and what campaign he proposes to initiate? Does he propose to visit the United Kingdom in an effort to protect our good name in the beef business and to highlight the high quality and top standard of Irish beef on international markets?
I do not intend to unduly delay the House. I thank the Cathaoirleach for affording Members the opportunity to raise this matter. He will be fully aware of the deep and widespread anxiety, first, from the point of view of public health and, second, in view of the importance of the £2 billion Irish beef industry. We have an excellent commodity and a £2 billion market which we must protect and develop. The repercussions that might arise from the scare in the United Kingdom demand that the Government, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Minister for Health make a combined effort to protect the good name of the Irish beef industry and endeavour to open new opportunities to minimise the effects of the revelations in the United Kingdom yesterday.
I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important issue. This House should give assurances that the quality of Irish beef is excellent. Since 1989 a total of 124 cases of BSE have occurred in Ireland. That represents an annual average of incidence in 16 animals in a cattle population of seven million. Of the 124 cases, 11 were imported from the UK. All affected animals were aged four years or over and the age profile of cases continues to increase. It is important to identify the problem.
The then Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, now a Member of this House, introduced stringent rules and regulations to deal with BSE. The herd in which BSE occurs is depopulated and owners are paid full market value by the State. That decision was significant. Feeding of bonemeal has been banned since 1990 and that was also an important decision. The importation of cattle from the UK is banned under EU regulations. This country should now decide that no animal should be imported for consumption, in view of the fact that this problem mainly occurs in Britain which has not dealt with it in the same way as we have.
Ireland has performed extremely well on this issue and has been complimented by its EU partners. Ireland was not included in the trade measures adopted by the EU in 1990, following the recommendations of the scientific veterinary committee, because Ireland had taken its own decisions. That policy has been continued by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry and I compliment him on his commitment to the people of Ireland and Europe yesterday about the quality of Irish beef.
With regard to branding Irish beef, it is important that a decision is taken as early as possible to ask the Commission to lift its prohibition on branding beef products with the name of the country of origin. In current circumstances and in view of the fact that this industry is worth between £0.7 billion and £1.7 billion in real terms we should be given the opportunity to sell our best product, namely, our beef, not only on the Irish market but in the European and British market.
In the last 24 hours I have spoken to processors in this country who are worried about the effects of the publicity that has been given to this matter. I ask those who are reporting on this issue to be fair. Scaremongering and providing incorrect information is not doing a service to the many thousands working in the beef industry, both in the producing and processing sectors. Wild allegations and statements in the media will not help the situation. People should be selling Ireland and its beef product on the basis of the action taken on this issue by all Governments since 1989.
It is not true that we have a problem comparable to that across the water. We have even had experts disagreeing with the findings on what causes some of the diseases that have been mentioned. In view of the serious nature of the problem, we should be forthright in defending the actions taken by successive Ministers. Only 124 cases were reported and all affected herds were depopulated.
It is vital to consider whether we should ban the importation of all animals from Europe. A large number of milk cows have been imported over the last few years but we can survive without them. If we want to convince the public, not alone in Ireland but abroad, that the industry is safeguarded, protected and allowed to grow, we should possibly ban the importation of all live animals.
I compliment the Minister for promoting Irish beef in Britain a few months ago and I have no doubt he will do so again with agencies in order to protect jobs in the industry throughout the country at farm gate and processing levels. As a result of our discussion today, we will all learn a little more and we will try to give assurances to people that the industry is being protected by the actions which have been taken despite articles and reports which state that we have a problem. We do not have the problem which, unfortunately, the UK has and Members should emphasise that. The attitude of all Governments to this issue has been precise and they dealt with it properly from the beginning. I believe that if the British Government had a second chance to deal with the issue, they would have taken the same action we took.
This side of the House does not lightly raise matters under Standing Order 29. We did so today because we felt the debate had to be brought to a head and that the most relevant Chamber in which to do this was the Seanad. I intend no disrespect to the Minister of State but we gave reasonable notice that we wished to have the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry present for the debate.
An hour.
We raised the matter on the Order of Business. Several Members on this side expressed concerns about it and we are disappointed that the Minister——
The Senator should use his time to debate the issue.
——who has ultimate responsibility for agriculture, particularly the beef industry and beef exports, is not present. We were informed that the Minister for Health would be present but this has not been the case either.
I welcome the opportunity to debate the issue. It is important that we use cold hard facts to discuss it. An industry worth £1 billion is in jeopardy because of the inactivity of an EU member state. I am concerned that our beef cannot be marketed as Irish beef. We took unprecedented steps to ensure that BSE could not enter the food chain through Irish beef but the whole beef industry could now be jeopardised because of the inactivity to which I referred. We can discuss all the issues and point out the statistics and scientific analysis which show there is no definite link between BSE and CJD but a time bomb landed on the industry yesterday by the announcement in the House of Commons by the British Secretary of State for Health that there could be a possible link between the two diseases.
We raised this matter under Standing Order 29 to reassure Irish consumers, beef exporters and our markets that Irish beef is safe. Ireland has taken unprecedented steps to ensure that BSE could not enter the food chain. I compliment past Ministers, including Senator O'Kennedy, for the stringent guidelines they laid down when other countries, including Britain, did not do the same. Britain is now suffering drastically because of this sad episode and we are being tarred with the same brush.
To safeguard our beef exports and markets the Minister should seek a derogation from the EU to ensure we can market our beef internationally as beef which has not been contaminated through the food chain by negligence, as happened across the water. Farmers and exporters, particularly live exporters, are affected by this matter. From speaking to people directly involved, I know that in some marts today there were no bids for animals which were ready for slaughter because of the situation in Britain. The British Government suggested that there could possibly be a slaughter of its 11 million national herd to ensure its industry could start again and guarantee BSE free beef.
I am confident that because of the actions of Governments in the past and the responsibility of farming associations and those involved in the beef sector, Irish beef is of the highest quality and free of the type of incidents which have occurred in the British beef herd. For these reasons we must send a strong signal to consumers in Ireland and our international markets that Irish beef is safe. As well as this we must point out that we took every step in the past to ensure this.
Unfortunately, when we try to develop our markets we are seen, because of our proximity to Britain, to be British based. We must forcefully convey the message that Irish beef should be marketed under its own brand name of Irish beef. The Scottish Ministry of Agriculture and Scottish beef exporters have ceased to be associated with British beef and have marketed their beef as being of independent origin. They have a low level of BSE in their herd and they have ensured they would not be tarnished in the way the beef industry in the rest of Britain and Ireland has been. Irish beef is safe, can be eaten and is free of the disease which is prevalent in the British herd.
I have spoken to people involved in the export of beef. I am not here to score political points on an issue which is detrimental to the Irish beef industry. The Minister has been criticised recently and there have been protests in Molesworth Street because of inaction on the issue of export credit refunds.
That decision was made by the former EU Commissioner, Mr. MacSharry. The Senator has a poor memory.
I will use every forum available to me to highlight the fact that not enough pressure has been applied at EU level to ensure full restoration of these refunds. We have prime quality cattle in this country. This has been outlined by previous speakers and I am sure subsequent speakers will also do so. This issue will have to be resolved immediately. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, who should have been in the House to debate the issue, has claimed that he has done everything in his power to have export credit refunds restored in full but this has not happened.
That was Commissioner MacSharry's decision.
The Minister's inactivity has caused major problems in the beef industry. We are facing a crisis in the beef industry, therefore the Minister should go to his European counterparts and argue the case for the restoration of export credit refunds and for allowing Irish beef to be marketed under its own brand name.
I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. Agriculture is our most important industry. It is of vital importance to the economy and it must be protected at all costs. Such a threat from sources outside Ireland is difficult to deal with but we must ensure it has a minimum effect. The statement in the British House of Commons linking BSE or mad cow disease and CJD will cost Irish farmers and the economy millions of pounds. There has just been a tenuous link to date but if a direct link were identified, the beef industry would be decimated and our economy would be seriously damaged.
We must convince our customers that Irish beef is free from BSE. A report in today's The Irish Times stated that one major UK supermarket chain has already requested some Irish meat factories to stop deboning beef for it. I hope that is only a temporary measure, but it shows how immediate the response can be. I welcome the quick initiative taken by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Deputy Yates, who correctly pointed out that the UK has more problems in one day than Ireland has had since this became an issue in 1989. Negative publicity about red meat anywhere in Europe leads, and has led in the past, to a dramatic drop in beef consumption. This means that people eat other types of meat and it is extremely difficult to recover market share once that happens. The Irish agencies now face a difficult marketing job which must be done immediately.
Only 124 cases have been found in a national herd of seven million animals in the past seven years, while there were 154,592 cases in Britain up to last November. Approximately 160,000 cases have been identified to date in a British herd of just 12 million animals, which is less than twice the size of our herd. There is no comparison between the level of outbreaks. Of the 124 Irish cases, 15 were imported and a majority of 83 came from dairy herds. While we do not have a similar problem to that in Britain, we suffer from the fallout due to the reduction in beef consumption.
We must continue to point out the positive aspects of Irish beef and Irish beef production to all our international customers, not only in Britain but in Europe and the Middle East. We must highlight the fact that most of our animals, from calves to those which are slaughtered, are fed on grass. We must also show that we have low levels of BSE and that we have special policies to deal with BSE when it breaks out which are far beyond what is required by good scientific standards. We have taken special precautions, such as stopping the practice of feeding bone meal to animals.
There is a difficulty identifying Irish beef but we must find a way around this to ensure that Irish customers can identify it on the shelves. Senator Quinn said this morning that throwing money at the problem may not be the solution. Some investment must be made but money is not the only solution. There should be special arrangements with supermarkets in Britain to identify Irish beef. This problem will not be easily solved. Today Mr. Raymond O'Malley of the IFA national livestock committee said that Irish beef "needed a clear and distinctive branding campaign to protect and promote the integrity of Irish beef on the UK and other export markets as a top quality product". He also said that our customers must be fully informed of the rigorous policy of controls and guarantees operated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the livestock industry which provide unparalleled assurance of the product's safety.
Senator Farrelly said we must ensure there is responsible reporting of this situation. Some of the British tabloids printed frightening stories today which will help to reduce the consumption of Irish beef. The media must be responsible in this regard.
I am pleased the Minister of State at the Department of Social Welfare, Deputy Durkan, is present because he has a background knowledge of agriculture and he contributed to many debates on this subject before he became a member of the Government.
I welcome the opportunity to make a contribution on this national issue. I welcome the response from you, a Chathaoirligh, to our request for a debate on this matter of special urgency and importance. I regret that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry cannot be here, but I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Social Welfare, Deputy Durkan. I thought the Minister might have cancelled whatever engagements he had at home so that he could come here this evening not just to speak to the Seanad but to reassure the public about Irish beef.
Ireland enjoys and has always enjoyed white country status. This means that we are regarded, not only in Europe but throughout the world, as having the highest disease free status in our herds. I saw the importance of this when BSE first broke out in 1989. After consulting with officials in the Department, some of whom are still playing a major role, and with our veterinary services, I decided to recommend to the Government that although we had only isolated incidents at that point, we should immediately adopt a slaughter policy on all herds if BSE was suspected because it was vitally important to maintain our status.
The BSE outbreak in 1989 occurred in the United Kingdom. We were able to trace the limited number of cases in Ireland to pedigree animals imported for breeding purposes or to animals which had been contaminated by a food chain from England. Immediately, we restricted feed to bovine animals to natural feed in which ruminants should be engaged. There has been no trace in the food chain for animals of any meat or bone meal, which has been a major problem in the United Kingdom.
Having taken those steps, which are still being adhered to, I went to the European Community in which we enjoyed disease free status. I insisted that we call a specially convened meeting of the Council of Ministers where the European Community and the veterinary services of the Commission could lay down the most stringent regulations in respect of the supply through the food chain of any animals which risked being contaminated by BSE. I invited my colleagues on the Council of Ministers to apply these standards as stringently as possible to us and others. Because of what we were able to prove, my colleagues and the Commission acknowledged that there was no case for a limitation on Irish beef exports as our standards were seen to be so high.
I recall that some of our competitors spread rumours. I visited Iran, where there was a blockage because it saw problems with BSE, and other countries. I brought our top class veterinary consultants with me to satisfy them in the most painstaking and lengthy negotiations that whatever problems there might be in relation to BSE, we did not have it. Each country accepted our status, not only because of our political negotiations and my efforts, but because of the certified veterinary status of our animals.
The record shows that the Government's policy of slaughter, which I introduced, was very costly. I had no trouble convincing my colleagues in Government when they saw the significance of this. Because of the 126 animals with traces of BSE, we slaughtered approximately 15,000 animals at a cost of almost £11 million. We are entitled, after those clear actions which I introduced to make the strongest case with the support of our colleagues in the European Community, who will verify what I said, to make it clear that Irish beef poses no risk to the consumer.
Given the veterinary controls in factories which are still in operation, there is no possibility of anything in a food chain which would be remotely affected by BSE. I do not believe BSE is transmittable to humans. The problem which has arisen in England has been caused not by flesh, but by offal getting into the food chain through hamburger joints and so on. I became aware of this problem when I was Minister and I managed to get support from my colleagues in Europe and elsewhere to recognise our disease free status. That is the foundation on which we must build our marketing policy. We must convince people that, regardless of wherever else there is a problem, there is none in Ireland. I do not wish ill to any other producer, but if there are problems in other countries with which Ministers must belatedly deal when they should have done what we did, we are entitled to fill those market opportunities. Far from reducing the consumption of Irish beef, it should be increased as a consequence of our efforts over the years.
Like everyone else, I am concerned about this issue. I would like to make a number of points as somebody who is actively involved in selling meat and who listens to customers' views and concerns. It is vital to safeguard the international image of Irish beef. There is a need to distinguish between Irish and British beef. Senator O'Kennedy was responsible for protecting Irish beef in the past. However, the public does not clearly understand that part of the reason we have a safer product is that Irish beef is grass fed rather than with concentrated feed. That must be sold to the public in a manner which it will understand. It is not just by chance that BSE has occurred only 124 times in the past ten years as opposed to 169,000 times in Britain. If we are to distinguish between Irish and British beef, that idea must be sold to the public in a positive rather than a negative way by knocking another product.
Everything we say must be true and rather than jump in immediately to proclaim the quality of Irish beef, we must make sure that there is no doubt in this regard. I read an outrageous suggestion in a newspaper today that there is a possibility of British beef being included in products marked as Irish. We must get to the bottom of this before we proclaim something which may not be correct because we will lose face. We must ensure that when we proclaim the quality of Irish beef from the rooftops that no other product which has been imported is labelled as Irish. While we may not be able to identify this problem within hours, we should be able to do so within days.
There is a belief that advertising will work if we throw money at it. Anybody involved in marketing will say that it is dangerous to put money into advertising and to promote something if it turns out that what one proclaims is not correct. Not only do you lose the value of that advertising, you do irreparable damage for the future because your credibility is lost. I ask the Minister, the Department and An Bord Bia to make sure that we can stand over what we say.
There seems to be a misunderstanding that we are not allowed to advertise beef as being Irish, that the EU does not permit us to do so. Let me explain how that misunderstanding came about. It arose because EU policy does not allow individual state money to be used to promote its product as against another state's product. I can understand that. One of the reasons the Buy Irish Campaign had to be slowed down some years ago was that it was no longer allowed to use Irish taxpayers' money. However, the Guaranteed Irish symbol was created as a result of voluntary subscriptions from the business sector. There is nothing to stop us proclaiming that this is an Irish product, that it is Irish beef, and proclaiming the benefits of it. When we stand up to speak we should be clear about that.
If we are to satisfy the Irish public we must put people's minds at rest immediately in regard not just to the products which are identified as Irish but also in regard to other goods which are being produced in Ireland and which, in the past, may have contained some products which were imported from Britain. Let us ensure that the Department is able to stand behind everything it says. Then we can be proud to proclaim it from the rooftops with confidence and reliability in the knowledge that everything we say is verifiably true and can be stood over. This is a challenge to our industry and the nation and I want to ensure everything is done in a manner which takes the long-term rather than the short-term view.
The changes which are taking place in the marketplace independent of this scare are such that beef is unlikely to be sold in anything like the same quantities as in the past, that is, in the form of pure uncooked beef. A large number of customers want to buy products which are more readily usable, such as pre-cooked foods or foods which are ready for the microwave. Prepared processed foods are taking a much larger share of the market than they did before. Do not let us focus all our attention on the fact that it is Irish beef. We are talking about added value products made in Ireland which the public abroad will be able to buy as processed finished products which are made from Irish beef. We have a strong product to sell; let us ensure that we sell that concept internationally. If we can do that by not jumping immediately into it, we will end up having done a world of good for the Irish beef industry because we will have created confidence even at this early stage.
I am pleased you accepted this motion under Standing Order 29 and allowed this debate. It is an important debate and your decision is one which we all welcome.
The crisis which has developed in England regarding BSE, or mad cow disease, in cattle and the alleged connection between BSE and its contraction by humans has posed a crisis for the Irish beef industry. We should consider this whole area under two headings: first, the potential national disaster which could occur in the event that this country cannot prove its clean sheet with regard to Irish beef produce and, second, the health of the Irish public and the need to ensure it is not exposed to the consumption or use of products imported from Britain which might be tainted with BSE infected meat.
On the first issue, the condition of Irish beef and the total absence of any diseased meat being used either on the Irish market or for export is the message which must be got across to Governments, agencies and food chain outlets around the world. It is the duty of all parties in this House to come together to fight in the national interest to protect the good name of Irish beef destined for the home or foreign markets. This is not a time to play politics with a matter of such national importance. Having called for this debate, the Fianna Fáil Party believes it has put the national interest first. We will join the Minister and the Government in helping to promote the proper and truthful case abroad that Irish beef is of the highest quality and there is no question that Irish beef or meat products are in any way tainted with BSE. In fact, this country's beef has an excellent record for quality. It is now of vital importance that we, as a nation, put forward a united front to explain the facts with regard to Irish beef.
The economy is still dependent on beef and lamb exports. Any change in that would spell national disaster. This agricultural producing country cannot afford the luxury of speculation on the quality or standard of Irish meat on foreign markets. We must resolve that we will march forward together to explain through our embassies, trade shows and world press that Irish beef is of prize standard and that there is no question of any meat product exports being tainted with the BSE disease.
Another area on which I wish to concentrate tonight is the need for the protection of the Irish public from the use or consumption of meat products imported from the UK which might have been tainted with BSE diseased meat. The Minister for Health and the Government have a duty to protect the good health of the Irish public. We must not allow products — such as pies, sausage rolls, tin meats, etc., — which have been made or part made from beef which may have been contaminated with BSE disease remain or to be placed on the shelves of our shops and supermarkets, thereby endangering people's health. The Minister, the Government and, indeed, the Houses of the Oireachtas have a duty and a responsibility to protect the health of the public. Whatever measures are needed must be taken towards that end. I call on the Minister to implement immediately the strictest regulations and to exclude from this country products made from contaminated beef or beef offal which will endanger public health.
I commend the motion before the House this evening. However, I find it disappointing that neither the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Deputy Yates, nor his junior colleague is here to take this debate. I would have thought it infinitely more serious than any by-election campaign in Donegal or elsewhere. Since it is possible to drive from anywhere in Ireland to the Houses of the Oireachtas within four or five hours they should have been here because we asked for this debate this morning on the Order of Business. I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Social Welfare, Deputy Durkan, for attending and addressing this issue. It is a serious and grave matter which is why the Minister, preferably, or his Minister of State should have been here.
We are talking about a trade which is worth about £200 million to this economy and the livelihood of 100,000 farmers, so it is of huge consequence. We must state explicitly that the quality of the beef we are selling to the British and all other markets is very high, safe to eat; it is probably far more deleterious to the health of any Member of this House to smoke a few cigarettes than it would be to eat half a tonne of beef over a lifetime. That is the reality.
What we have in this case is a degree of tabloidism which has been damaging to this country and to beef producers in general. The headlines which scream at us — and Sky News would be one of the culprits in this respect — do not emphasise that it was stated there was no scientific evidence of a connection between BSE in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; they state that it was likely that there was — a most unscientific word to use — a connection. While the reaction has been over the top, we must realise the tabloids have generated a fear among the public and there is a responsibility on us, as a major beef exporting country, to deal with it.
The Minister and the Government must, at the highest level, take direct and effective action to reassure consumers, those to whom we sell our beef in Britain and everybody in the marketing chain that the beef we are selling is of the highest quality. It is wrong to make any connection between the quality of Irish beef and the alleged contamination of British beef by mad cow disease.
The policy pursued by successive Governments on this matter, taking out and slaughtering affected animals, has been a good one. Although there were reservations about the desirability of pursuing that policy, it has shown to have been effective to the extent that we can stand over our beef in any European market. There is an opportunity to be gained here on the marketing side. It is possible, with credibility, for the Minister and An Bord Bia to tell British beef wholesalers and supermarkets that our beef is of the highest quality and that it does not have the negative characteristics associated with its British counterpart. However, this opportunity must be exploited and resourced.
I accept Senator Quinn's point. There is nothing wrong with branding Irish beef; it is not disallowed by the European Union. What is disallowed is State funding for a meat board; it must be a co-operative. It has been proven that branding a product like beef is extremely costly. While we might aspire to that, the most effective thing we can do is reassure British wholesale beef buyers that what we are selling is good.
There was a 20 per cent drop in beef consumption in Britain over the past 12 months and this announcement will unquestionably have a further negative effect. The Minister, An Bord Bia and everybody involved must do all they can to promote Irish beef as being a healthy and safe food which is, as Senator Quinn said, produced from the best of Irish grassland.
When BSE first broke out, it was caused by the ingestion of offal or meat in contaminated bonemeal. We have again taken the appropriate action in policy terms to ensure that this cannot happen again. From reading the scientific literature, the only cases of proven evidence of a connection between CJD and BSE was when infected animal brain tissue was injected directly into rats or mice. While the evidence of a connection is extremely tenuous, we must accept it has taken hold in the public mind. Irrespective of the evidence, the consumer will decide and we will have to respond.
The European Commission also has a role to play. It must confirm the quality of Irish beef throughout Europe and state that it does not have the problems associated with its British counterpart. Moves must also be made to restore full live export refunds. If there was no argument for them beforehand, there is certainly one now. The farmers who expensively wintered their cattle in sheds are highly vulnerable and will lose a lot of money. There is a good argument to be made to the Commission for restoring export refunds.
We must emphasise the quality of what we have to sell. If anybody believes that putting angel dust or illegal growth promoters into cattle is of value to this industry they should think again. This is another aspect that damages the image we are trying to present to discerning consumers abroad; that these people will not get away with it. It is wrong to say that these materials do not cause damage. They are damaging our market. If consumers want beef without these additives, they must get it.
I thank Members for raising this important issue which gives me the opportunity, on behalf of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, to reply to the debate. I apologise for the absence of the Minister and his Minister of State. Unfortunately, they could not be here within the given time because it would have caused many problems of another nature.
BSE was first identified in 1986. The first case was identified in Ireland in 1989. As a result, a comprehensive range of control measures were put in place. It is important to stress that the incidence of BSE in Ireland is at a totally different level to that in Britain. Since 1989 there has been a total of 124 cases in Ireland, representing an annual average incidence of 16 animals in a cattle population of over seven million. All cases were aged four years and over and this age profile of cases continues to increase. By comparison there have been almost 160,000 cases in Britain, which has a cattle population of about 12 million; that puts the number of incidents in perspective.
Nevertheless we have adopted the most stringent control measures both to protect consumers and to maintain and safeguard our trade. Among the most important control measures in place are the following: BSE is compulsorily notifiable; a comprehensive surveillance system is in place; in abattoirs all animals are examined ante-mortem for signs of diseases, including BSE, by an official veterinarian; all obvious nervous lymphatic tissue is removed from the carcases; BSE confirmed animals are destroyed and buried in situ or incinerated and market value is paid by the State in compensation — there has often been criticism of disease eradication and animal health protection measures, but this clearly indicates where it is absolutely necessary to safeguard the national interest and that of our major industries and it is illustrated in this instance — the entire herds in which BSE occurs are depopulated at full market value and paid by the State; feeding of meat and bonemeal to ruminant animals has been banned since 1990 and importation of cattle from the UK is banned under EU legislation.
Ireland has an extremely low incidence of sheep scrapie and the balance between its cattle and sheep population significantly reduces the risk factor. It is also important to bear in mind the following. Ireland has an extremely high animal health status and has access to the most discerning international markets; for many years Ireland had a largely self-contained national herd; Ireland has a low level of the disease and is classified by the OIE as having a low sporadic incidence for the purpose of the international trade code adopted by that organisation thereby facilitating continued trade in cattle and meat; the World Health Organisation has endorsed the recommendation of the OIE; Ireland has not been included in the trade measures adopted by the EU in 1990 following recommendations of the scientific veterinary committee; the continued low sporadic level of the disease in older animals validates the efficacy of the control measures already in place and Ireland has adopted extensive control measures, far beyond what are called for on scientific grounds. Therefore cattle and sheep can safely be imported from Ireland and this is recognised internationally. The point raised by various Members in ensuring the protection of our international image is recognised here.
The announcement in the House of Commons yesterday has generated a great deal of interest and a certain level of concern. However this information needs to be seen in the proper context. First, it needs to be seen as part of an ongoing review of BSE by various scientific groups. That review has expanded into possible connections with CJD, a rare neurological disease. Over the past decade, new information has emerged and a good deal more is known about BSE now than when it first emerged in 1989. It is important that this information is properly assessed and that we do not arrive at incorrect or hasty conclusions.
High level discussions took place today between officials of the Departments of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and Health with a view to co-ordinating any necessary action to safeguard public health and preserve the food chain. This latest information will be examined by the control authorities in this country, particularly the Food Safety Advisory Board which involves veterinary and medical expertise. I have no doubt that the advisory board will perform its task in a professional and responsible fashion. Equally I can assure the House that their recommendations will be acted upon.
It is also important to understand that this issue has been examined by scientific experts at international level and various recommendations have been adopted by these groups. These include the EU Scientific Veterinary Committee which has conducted a very detailed and in-depth analysis. This group will be meeting in coming days to assess the latest situation. OIE — the International Veterinary Organisation — has also conducted a scientific review and has made recommendations. I must emphasise that the controls in Ireland go well beyond the recommendations made by these examinations.
This latest controversy is expected to cause difficulties for beef consumption in Britain. The Irish beef industry is high export oriented. Four out of every five animals are destined for the export market; therefore, the sector is vulnerable to shifts and changes in consumption patterns. I think it is widely accepted that the measures in place have protected the reputation of, and market access for, Irish beef, which is accepted in 80 countries internationally. The likely drop in consumption in Britain is a matter for concern. It happened before but recovered after a period. Great Britain is an important and value added market for our beef taking some 100,000 tonnes per annum. A considerable amount of time and effort has been devoted to gaining a foothold in the British multiples. This has not been an easy task. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry spearheaded a campaign earlier this year to explain to British retail multiples the nature and extent of our controls.
An Bord Bia is assessing and monitoring the latest situation and is in the process of formulating a strategy to counteract any negative impact on Irish beef. The intention is to take advantage of the controls in place and to exploit the distinctive aspects of the Irish product. An exercise such as this requires careful planning and obviously the timing of any special promotion campaigns will be a critical factor. I can assure the House that An Bord Bia will not be found wanting in this regard. It should be noted that this issue is being pursued at EU level. Every possible measure is being put in place to safeguard the internationally recognised high standards of Irish products. The House can have no fears in that regard.
The Seanad adjourned at 6.25 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 27 March 1996.