4 Feb 2013, 15:19
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine will consider the recent findings of beef burgers containing horse meat at a meeting tomorrow afternoon at 2 pm.
4 February 2013
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Simon Coveney TD and his officials will brief the Committee, along with Professor Alan Reilly, CEO of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
Chairman of the Committee Andrew Doyle TD says: “Our Committee has followed this story with deep concern. Ireland’s enviable reputation in producing green, clean and traceable food, so critical to the prosperity of our €10bn agri-food industry, risks being undermined when issues like this arise. Our Committee are keen to constructively engage with Minister Coveney, his officials, and Prof Reilly on the lessons learned from the investigation. It will provide an opportunity to reassure the public on the steps being taken to ensure such a lapse is never repeated.
“A number of Committee Members have raised the possibility of questioning senior management from the company at the centre of the controversy. At our meeting tomorrow we will consider whether to formally invite ABP Food Group executives before the Committee.”
The meeting will commence with the following EU legislative proposals:
- COM(2012)498 - Establishing a long-term plan for cod stocks and the fisheries exploiting those stocks
- COM(2012)535 - Final accounts of the 8th, 9th and 10th European Development Funds - Financial year 2011
- COM(2012)552 - Establishing rules for direct payments to farmers under support schemes within the framework of the common agricultural policy
- COM(2012)553 - On support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development
The meeting takes place at 2 p.m tomorrow 5 February in Committee Room 3, LH 2000. Proceedings will commence in private. It is anticipated that the public session will commence at approximately 2:30 p.m.
Committee proceedings can be followed live
Ends
For further information contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 6949926
paul.hand@oireachtas.ie
Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine - Membership
Deputies:
Tom Barry,
Pat Deering, (Vice-Chair)
Martin Ferris,
Andrew Doyle, (Chair)
Martin Heydon,
Colm Keaveney
Michael McNamara,
Eamon Ó Cuiv,
Thomas Pringle
Senators:
Michael Comiskey,
Paschal Mooney,
Pat O’Neill,
Mary Ann O’Brien,
Brian Ó Domhnaill,
Susan O’Keeffe