asked the Minister for Health if he will give the latest statistics available to his Department in relation to the level of contamination in milk, meat and in foodstuffs generally.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Foodstuffs Contamination.
2.
Figures in respect of 1982 in relation to samples of food, including milk and meat products, monitored for compliance with legislation on foodstuffs show that of a total of 8,697 samples, 5 per cent were found to be unsatisfactory. The results of analyses ranged from deficiencies in samples relevant to the compositional and additives standards to problems of contamination in individual foodstuffs.
Specific details of the unsatisfactory samples are available in the official reports of the three regional public analysts for 1982.
Would the Minister accept that there is a seasonal variation in this area and that the 5 per cent he has given us could be at a higher level at another time of the year?
That may well be. I do not have any information on that but it is important to note that 95 per cent of food samples taken by the health inspectors and analysed by the public analysts were found to be satisfactory.
Could I ask the Minister to comment on the report in this morning's newspaper which suggested that the Department of Agriculture report put forward the view that 80 per cent of Irish abbatoirs were unsuitable?
The report will be examined by me and I have no doubt that it will be examined very carefully by the Minister for Agriculture. I have no details of the report yet.
Is the Minister aware that the Departments in question, Health and Agriculture, have very little power in this area, that it is the local authorities who deal with it and that there is little legislation in the Departments guiding local authorities in this area? Will the Minister look at that very urgently because it is a serious situation?
I would not accept that assertion at all. The Deputy is well aware of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, the food hygiene regulations of 1950 and onwards and the regular updating of these regulations and legislation. Any offender who is found to have broken the law in relation to these regulations is substantially fined or imprisoned.
Those Acts do not control the abbatoirs.
I will deal with this specific aspect of public abbatoirs if the Deputy puts down a question.