asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he has ascertained the problem with cucumbers on sale in this country; and if his attention has been drawn to the huge losses being incurred by growers on a daily basis.
Private Notice Questions. - Infected Cucumbers.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and food if, in view of the serious threat to the livelihoods of the families engaged in the Irish cucumber industry arising from the recent health scare, he will ensure that (1) immediate steps are taken to identify the source of the problem which brought about the health warning, including tests on imported cucumbers, (2) his Department and the Department of Health fully co-operate with the Irish growers in supervising the dumping of the daily crop until the matters is clarified, (3) an adequate scheme of compensation is put in place to protect the growers from financial ruin and (4) Bord Glás undertake an intensive promotional campaign immediately the health question is clarified.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline, in light of the fact that over 30 people were taken ill from eating cucumbers, the immediate steps he is prepared to take to ascertain whether the cucumbers were homegrown or imported; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the results of tests currently being carried out on cucumber will be available and, given the devastating effects the recent announcement by a person (details supplied) is having on the industry, if the Minister for Agriculture and Food will confirm that compensation will be paid to the growers affected.
I propose to take these four questions together. I appreciate the concern of the Deputies in raising this important matter.
Every effort is being made to identify the cause of the problem. A wide range of bacteriological and chemical tests have been carried out and are at present being extended. The results of tests so far have not pinpointed the nature of the problem.
I have arranged for supervision by Department officials of the disposal of cucumbers by growers until the matter is clarified. While the question of compensating growers for losses incurred will be examined, I am not in a position to give any commitment.
Immediately the matter is dealt with adequately, An Bord Glas will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that cucumbers are re-established as a clean, healthy food on the market.
I will take supplementaries in the order in which the questions were asked. I call Deputy Deasy.
I can only classify the Minister's reply as a non-answer because he has not told us anything which we had not known already from statements in recent days. Will the Minister state whether the cucumbers in question have been infected externally or internally? Was it due to sprays, pesticides or something genetic within the vegetable? Is it confined to Irish cucumbers, which was insinuated, is it a combination of Irish and foreign cucumbers or is it one or the other? We would all like to know whether the growers will be compensated for something over which they had no control but which seriously affects their livelihoods.
I am as concerned as any Deputy in the House in relation to the threat to the livelihoods of the cucumber producers. Since this problem was first raised I have been in very close contact with officials of the Department of Agriculture and Food and, through them, the Department of Health, for the purpose of identifying the toxin involved in regard to this problem. I am also concerned about the health factor involved and I sympathise with the people who suffered illness as a result of eating these cucumbers——
That is not the question.
If the Deputy has patience I will answer his question in detail. A wide range of tests has been carried out but the earlier tests were totally negative. We carried out tests on a range of approximately 70 chemicals involved in the treatment of horticultural products; all these tests proved negative. This morning officials of the Department embarked on an intensified campaign to try to pinpoint the chemical — if a chemical is involved. From inquiries which I made a short time ago there is an indication that we are making positive progress in relation to identifying the source. It would appear — although it is not conclusive — that the problem arose as a result perhaps of chemicals being used.
Was the problem caused by a pesticide or something in the seed?
If we want to make progress at Question Time, we cannot have a cross-examination. Three other Deputies tabled questions and they are entitled to ask one supplementary question before Deputy Deasy asks four.
I did not get any answer.
That is not the responsibility of the Chair.
I thank the Minister of State for his efforts in relation to this terrible problem facing the Irish growers, for his co-operation and for the efforts made by the officials of his Department. I am glad that progress is being made in regard to the tests and that there is a chance of being able to pinpoint the source of the problem. Will the Minister ensure that the same tests are carried out on the imported cucumber as those which were done on the Irish, because the first statement by the chairman of the Food Safety Advisory Committee was a blanket statement in relation to Irish products only and did not refer to imported cucumbers? This has created terrible problems for the Irish industry.
In relation to the question of compensation, does the Minister realise in regard to this £1 million home industry that some growers depend on the cucumber crop for up to 90 per cent of their annual income and that they need to know now that a fair compensation scheme will be available to them? Some of these people are losing up to £5,000 per week per acre of glass. Will the Minister consider that it is not sufficient to apply compensation just on the losses at present, because until the market recovers, which could be some considerable time, the growers will continue to lose money? It is vitally important that the growers know that a compensation scheme will be available to them.
The Deputy raised a number of questions. In an effort to bring about a speedy resolution of this problem, Department officials, in co-operation with the Department of Health, embarked on a 50 per cent random sampling very soon after this matter was raised. Since then they have completed a total test on all producers' cucumbers — in other words, they visited all the producers and have taken samples from the horticultural projects involved. I requested officials of the Department to also carry out checks in relation to imported cucumbers for the purpose of trying to establish the source of the problem. The Deputy will appreciate that it is extremely difficult to embark on a compaign of testing all imported cucumbers. However, as we want to try to have some cross-checking in relation to home-produced cucumbers as against imports, we have arranged to have these tests carried out.
The Deputy also asked about the supervision of the disposal of contaminated cucumbers. I fully agree with his point about the importance of supervised disposal, because unless we supervise the disposals of contaminated cucumbers customers will never be totally satisfied that the problem has been resolved. Therefore, in consultation with my Department officials, we have arranged for supervised disposal of contaminated produce. As I indicated in my earlier reply, I am not in a position to give any kind of positive assurances in relation to the question of compensation. However, I have arranged to meet tomorrow morning representatives of the producer groups involved and I will be discussing with them the question of compensation. Therefore, it would not be reasonable or fair to expect me to give a categoric assurance at Question Time in relation to compensation. The matter will not be resolved here. When I meet the producer groups I will listen to the case they will make, but I cannot give a definite assurance in relation to it.
I appreciate the efforts of the Minister of State in this regard. Is he aware that cucumbers are widely on sale in Dublin today? It is appropriate that we should identify the source to see if they have been imported from Denmark or wherever or if they are home produced——
They are Dutch.
The Deputy has Denmark on the brain.
It may not be the only poisoned chalice to come from Denmark. It is important that the Minister of State address the health safety factor and clarify the position in relation to compensation. People want to know the source of the cucumbers in question.
I am aware that cucumbers are on sale at various retail outlets throughout the country. In fairness to Irish cucumber producers, they have refrained from putting their produce on the market pending the outcome of the Department's investigation. Therefore one can take it, on a reasonable assessment of the situation, that the cucumbers on sale——
Have been imported.
——have been imported. I expect and hope that there is no health factor involved.
The Minister of State is not sure whether the cucumbers were imported or home produced.
He has identified Irish cucumbers as being the source.
As I have already indicated, I have requested that random samples be taken of all cucumbers on sale, imported or otherwise. I should say in fairness to Irish producers that following the scare they have refrained from marketing their produce. This is an indication that they have adopted a reasonable approach. They are co-operating fully with officials of my Department and the Department of Health. I hope the matter can be disposed of quickly, that the status of Irish cucumbers can be restored and that Irish producers can rely on the quality of their produce. As I indicated in my earlier reply, once the matter has been disposed, of An Bord Glas, the official agency who promote the horticulture industry, will embark on a campaign to re-establish the credibility of the Irish cucumber industry.
First, I wish to compliment the Minister of State and his officials for paying attention to this matter over the bank holiday weekend. Given that we are now almost two weeks into this crisis, growers will be very uneasy and disappointed that the source of the problem has not yet been identified, be it home produced or imported cucumbers. Indeed. We do not know whether the cucumber is the source of the problem at all. Given that the livelihoods of many growers and their families are at stake — up to 60 staff are directly involved — I ask the Minister of State to give a specific commitment that he will agree in principle to provide compensation for these people as nothing less will satisfy them. There are precedents in other areas of agriculture for making such payments.
I am not aware of any precedent where a Minister gave an assurance in this House at Question Time to provide compensation. All I am saying is that tomorrow morning I am due to meet representatives of the producers and I will listen attentively to what they will have to say in relation to the case for compensation. Coming as I do from an agricultural background, I can appreciate their problems. Many of them are small producers who rely on the cucumber industry for their livelihood. While I am not going to say anything positive or definite in reply to the Deputy's question I will approach the matter with an open mind and will listen to the case that will be made by the representatives of the producers and make a decision later in consultation with my senior colleague, the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Joe Walsh.
I thought we might dispense of that matter but Deputy Burke has indicated that he wishes to ask a final and I hope short question.
The Minister of State has been very forthcoming except on one aspect. I thank him for his positive reply on all other aspects in relation to An Bord Glas and others but with regard to compensation, while I accept that the Minister of State is not going to give us a positive response today, I wish to restate that the cucumber industry is the main source of income for some 60 people involved and that they badly need to be compensated. I trust that the Minister for State will take a positive approach to this matter. Finally, may I ask him if he will ensure that the doctor who made the initial statement, the Chairman of the Food Safety Advisory Committee, will make another statement to clarify the situation once the health scare is over in order to allay public fears so that once again we can have a thriving cucumber industry? Given that he made the initial statement, he must make another statement.
I call on the Minister of State to make a short reply as there is other important business which we must move on to.
I have nothing further to add. I have addressed the question at great length. In response to Deputy Burke, the doctor who made the initial announcement had a duty and responsibility to do so. I have no doubt that he will respond in the same positive manner once he is satisfied that this health factor has been dealt with.