Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 November 2004
148 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she has satisfied herself that every step has and is being taken to eliminate the possibility of importation of any animal diseases through animal seed stuff or importation of meat or meat products; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29616/04]
View answer157 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the degree to which she can give assurances regarding the possible importation of animal diseases here through either the human or animal food chain; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29627/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 148 and 157 together.
My Department operates stringent controls on imports of animal feedstuffs at all levels of the feed chain, including the sampling and analysis of all imported bulk shipments of feed materials for the presence of bone spicules — they being indicators of the possible presence of processed animal proteins. To strengthen these controls, earlier this year my Department put in place new operating procedures, SOP, for the sampling, analysis and follow-up of positive results for processed animal proteins in animal feedstuffs. The new SOP provided for an extension to the sampling procedures whereby a proportion of imports of feed material from third countries are sampled at the point of entry and tested for processed animal proteins prior to being put into circulation or use in the feed chain. Circulation of the sampled material will not be permitted until the results of tests carried out are to hand and confirm that the samples are free from contamination.
My Department also operates extensive controls on imports of meat and meat products in accordance with detailed rules set down under community legislation providing for the production, processing and trade in animal products to protect human and animal health.
Third countries' animal products may only be imported from countries that the EU has approved on the basis that their controls are at least equivalent to those of the member states. These harmonised rules are operated in accordance with Community legislation and are audited by the food and veterinary office, FVO, of the EU.
I fully accept that controls on the importation and circulation of feed and meat products are critical to the success of the national effort to contain and eliminate diseases such as BSE and to protect the integrity of the feed and food chain. Any failures in this regard hold the potential to undermine progress made to date and to negate the time, money and effort which various interested parties, not least the taxpayer, have committed to this end over recent years with increasingly obvious success.
