Deputy J. Leonard has been given permission to raise on the Adjournment the danger of the spread of fowl pest as a result of the movement of vehicles between England and Ireland through Border posts.
Adjournment Debate. - Fowl Pest Danger.
I thank you, Sir, for having given me the opportunity to raise this matter this evening.
I want to request the Minister and his Department to have all possible steps taken to safeguard our poultry industry. I have received various representations in regard to this most recent outbreak of fowl pest in recent days which I understand is now very serious in England, its most serious aspect being the uncertainty surrounding it and the fact that it is spread over such a wide area. At the end of last year we had an outbreak of Avian influenza which had serious consequences in my constituency but which was then confined to a restricted area. The significance of the most recent outbreak is that it extends from Devon to Scotland, right across the neighbouring island from Wales and East Anglia to the east coast. The British Department of Agriculture cannot put their finger on the reason for this most recent outbreak. Rather there is a lot of speculation as to its cause.
I am most concerned about the danger to our poultry industry through transportation there being a considerable amount of vehicular transport between here and the English mainland. Sixty per cent of Northern Ireland's production is disposed of in England. The very same trucks and containers come here with 16 per cent of our market requirements. Indeed could we ensure that that 16 per cent was produced here it would provide approximately 200 additional jobs and 500 indirectly in spin-off benefits.
I might emphasise the importance to our economy of the poultry industry — and that includes the duck industry which encountered serious problems. Hopefully this will be revived through the production of broilers and turkeys. This industry is important nationally and locally. Indeed the poultry industry in my constituency is a monument to the men of initiative and commitment who had sufficient belief in themselves over the years and who set about achieving their goals.
There must be close scrutiny and monitoring of trucks entering this country at ports and Border posts to ensure that every possible avenue is sealed off in order to prevent an outbreak of the disease here. I might congratulate the Department of Agriculture on the way they dealt with that earlier outbreak of Avian influenza. We may have been critical of them at the time but, with hindsight, it can be said that they handled the position well, disposing of affected carcases, containing the disease within a small area and ensuring that producers who lost were compensated. It must be said that overall the industry emerged well from that outbreak. At present there is a prohibition on the importation of poultry from England at our ports but not on those emanating from Northern Ireland. I suggested earlier that there be one entry point where there would be a very close scrutiny of all vehicles. Before Christmas the export of poultry from this country was prohibited over the Border. While that might appear to have been a very stringent measure I would have no hesitation in recommending it, because the end justifies the means, in that it will ensure our poultry industry likewise remains free of disease.
It should be remembered that in 1973 we had no importation of poultry whatsoever. In 1983 we had approximately 8,000 tonnes of poultry meat imported. Our production, especially of broilers, over the last five years, has remained static at approximately 24 million. As I said earlier the elimination of all poultry imports would provide many additional jobs, particularly when one bears in mind that those 8,000 tonnes are valued at approximately £10,500,000.
When one examines our poultry industry, what it provides in terms of spin-offs, one finds that there is involved a meal usage of approximately 350,000 tonnes valued at approximately £45 million. If one were to consider the cereal content alone one would be talking of approximately 160,000 acres of cereals. When one relates our poultry industry, to that in the Six Counties one discovers that, from 1973 onwards, there was a dramatic increase in the Six Counties production which rose from approximately £23 million — our production now amounts to approximately £24 million — to £35 million at present. Fifty per cent of their increased production represents the market they secured here, which is due to the hidden incentive inherent in the MCAs. One realises the competition our industry must face when one equally realises that it is not a matter of production, of food conversion, of the type of housing, or the quality of the birds produced, how they are processed or the price they receive for their produce but rather the MCAs with which they must compete and to which our producers have no redress. This means our producers are playing against the wind most of the time. Hopefully there will be a change effected in this respect within the EEC. Should that change come about, we have the nucleus of an industry which could make a great contribution towards job creation and the Balance of Payments. This industry was built up after the war and was developed in small units. On our entry to the EEC the people in the constituency I represent believed there would be a great opportunity for marketing. However, as it turned out poultry was nobody's child. There is no stated policy as far as production and marketing is concerned. Admittedly, substantial sums of money have been provided by way of FEOGA grants to the processing plants but this was done after local initiative had built up the industry into a strong concern. The people were left to stand on their own feet. I notice from recent reports that FEOGA aid has not been taken up to the extent it should have been. One of our commissioners has commented on that. Should the CEAs be modified we could be major exporters. The opportunity is there for us.
The poultry and turkey industry in my area has expanded from packing frozen birds to producing a wide range of cooked and uncooked food. This generates much needed employment. No stone should be left unturned to ensure that this disease is controlled. There must be strict control. There must be the minimum of access points through which vehicles can come here. I would consider a complete closure if there was a danger of the disease spreading.
In their report on the poultry industry, the IDA saw a great opportunity for value added products. If we want to be a reckonable force in international markets and develop the agricultural industry we will have to concentrate on down-stream value added products.
The contribution the poultry industry has made over the last number of years to the provision of jobs is probably small compared to the contribution it has made as far as labour relations are concerned. There are many processing plants scattered over a wide area. When the processing plants were set up they were located as near as possible to the site of the produce. In Cavan and Monaghan we have some of the best industries as regards giving employment. If people are satisfied with their job and see that there is a chance to develop and progress, that makes for good working relations which spills over into many other fields.
We do not know how this disease has developed. I would be interested to hear the Minister's reply and hope he can assure me about the work being done to secure the future of the industry.
I commend the Deputy for bringing this matter before the House. It is a very serious matter especially for the people in his constituency. This disease is a form of Newcastle disease which was first confirmed in three commercial egg laying units in Shropshire on 27 February last. Since then there have been nine outbreaks of the disease in various parts of Britain. The outbreaks are unduly scattered geographically and there is no obvious pattern or source to the outbreaks at present. There has been concern there about a disease in racing pigeons which is a particular strain of Newcastle disease and this is causing the British authorities some concern. As a precaution against the introduction of disease here we have not been allowing the import of pigeons or indeed any live birds.
We have also banned the racing of pigeons out of the country. Because of the concern in Britain with the disease found in pigeons — a disease known as paramyxovirus — the authorities in Northern Ireland have adopted a policy of vaccination of pigeons there as a protection. We will have a meeting tomorrow morning at which we will consider whether we should resort to vaccination also. However, the position up to the present is that we have no sign whatsoever of the presence of paramyxovirus in pigeon flocks here.
What kind of pigeons could be vaccinated?
Only racing ones.
What about ordinary pigeons flying around?
Pigeons are not migratory. They stay around all day. In the case of racing pigeons it was the custom to take pigeons over to the UK or Holland and race them back home.
As soon as the outbreaks of Newcastle disease in Britain were notified to us my Department took immediate measures to minimise the risk of the virus being imported into this country. All my Department's veterinary staff at airports and ports were alerted and asked to step up the usual disinfection procedures for containers, trucks etc. and personnel coming from Britain. In association with the customs authorities, official staff at entry points were put on increased surveillance and vigilance. My Department also issued a press release advising persons travelling to England to avoid visiting restricted areas and requesting that any person who was on farmland there to report to the Department's portal or airport staff. Airline and shipping companies were reminded about the issue of the usual warnings to passengers not to bring meat or meat products into the country.
On the question of imports of poultry from Britain, we have introduced a total ban on the import of live poultry, including all cage birds. We are continuing, of course, with the usual policy of prohibiting all imports of fresh poultry meat with the exception of poultry which has undergone heat teatment to a temperature adequate to kill Avian disease viruses.
Is there any brand to let people know that they have been subjected——
Pardon?
Is there any mark or notice on them to say that they have been subjected to that heat?
With regard to anything coming in from Britain, we are insisting on that.
Would the customer know that he is buying dead viruses?
The customer will know that he is eating a safe product. The outbreak of Newcastle disease in Britain is a source of deep concern. This country has been free of the disease since 1956 and, despite outbreaks in many other countries of the European Community, our import control arrangements and the vigilance of our portal staff have enabled this country retain its freedom from the disease.
As the House will know we here maintain the closest possible liaison with Northern Ireland on all veterinary matters. Indeed, for all practical purposes in terms of control and care against the introduction of any exotic disease the country operates as a single geographical unit. The Northern authorities are, therefore, maintaining the same vigilance as we are in the present situation. This co-operation which is based on regular exchange of information has been a major factor in preserving the country's disease-free record down through the years. I have no reason to believe that between us we will not spare any effort to maintain that record now.
I can assure the House that no effort is in fact being spared. The position in Britain will, of course, continue to be kept under constant review. If the situation should deteriorate we will be ready to consider any further measures that might be warranted.
The Dáil adjourned at 8.55 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 28 March 1984.