Perhaps there is a silver lining to the cloud that has come across the Irish Sea. Perhaps the industry has learned lessons about the need for the industry itself to take ruthless measures to protect its high quality reputation from the small number who have no qualms about putting that reputation at risk to feed their own greed. We can have the cleanest, purest, high quality beef product in Europe, which I believe we have, and the best medical, scientific and veterinary experts testifying to that standard, but without consumer confidence it is worthless. Therefore, producers and processors must be prepared to publicly acknowledge the centrality of the consumer. We have an informed consumer policy and the livelihoods of producers and processors are inextricably linked to the choices they make.
In this crisis, it is a matter of some gratification to the Government that beef sales are back up to 90 per cent of normal levels and I acknowledge the contribution made by the expert advisory group I set up to restoring that level of consumer confidence. It is pathetic, therefore, to watch Deputy Cowen flailing around because I did my job effectively as Minister of State with responsibility for consumer affairs. It is churlish in the extreme that Deputy Cowen cannot bring himself to acknowledge the extraordinary industry, energy and tireless commitment of my colleague the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Deputy Yates, in dealing effectively with a crisis foisted on him from outside. If he could overcome his political bile, Deputy Cowen could make a positive contribution although sending him abroad in the role of ambassador is like sending Mike Tyson to ballet lessons.
Against this background, on 29 March I assembled an expert group to advise consumers, the Government and the trade, on the implications of the European Union export ban, which remains in place, on products derived from cattle slaughtered in the UK. The appointment of the group resulted from a meeting which I had with a delegation representing the grocery trade and RGDATA on 28 March. The terms of reference of the advisory group were to advise the Government, consumers, the retail, wholesale and distribution trades, food processors, and farmers, and to make such recommendations, if any, as the expert advisory group concluded were necessary in consequence of, or in order to implement, the decision of the European Commission of 27 March 1996.
The group was chaired by the Director of Consumer Affairs, an independent statutory officer. The group included representatives of: the Consumers' Association of Ireland; veterinary and administrative staff of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry; the Chief Medical Officer in the Department of Health; the Chairman of the Food Safety Advisory Board — a statutory body established by order of the Minister for Health in 1995; staff of the Department of Enterprise and Employment; RGDATA; five large retail multiples and IBEC.
I felt it important that the group should have a strong consumer voice as well as being supported by scientific, medical and veterinary personnel. The group met on 30 March and 2 April. In addressing the group at its inaugural meeting, I emphasised it was being given a free hand in conducting its affairs and that there would be no attempt by me or any other member of the Government to influence its work in any way. More importantly, I assured the group that if, during the course of its work, evidence was uncovered which would point to real or potential health risks associated with the consumption of beef or products containing beef, the information would be put into the public domain without delay.
Arising from its meeting on 30 March, the group issued a statement that, based on the best medical, scientific and veterinary advice currently available, there was no need for consumer concern relating to foodstuffs on the shelves containing minimal beef derivatives or products such as Irish beef, gelatine or dairy products, and that consumer helplines had been installed in the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs.
At its meeting on 2 April, the group formulated guidelines on beef and beef products, a copy of which I circulated earlier today with the reply to a parliamentary question. It is important to note that these guidelines received the whole-hearted endorsement of all group members. The guidelines are in the form of a series of questions and answers relating to products and issues which had been most commonly voiced by consumers.
In particular, the guidelines address such issues of concern as the effect of the EU export ban; whether Irish beef, Irish beef products, products which have an Irish beef content or Irish dairy products are safe to eat; the parts of the animal affected by BSE and if there is a risk of the spinal cord or the brain of an infected animal entering the food chain; the position of animals in herds where there is a case of BSE and whether products from these animals can enter the human food chain; the safety of products such as meat pies or stock cubes made from UK beef or with a UK beef content and the safety of beef lard, gelatine, UK dairy products, cosmetics and pet foods. I am pleased to inform the House that, in view of the expert group, all the products referred to are safe to consume. This view is based on the best scientific, medical and veterinary advice available to the group.
Moreover the Food Safety Advisory Board, a statutory body established in 1995 by the Minister for Heath reaffirmed last week that Irish beef and products derived from it are safe.
It is difficult to imagine a more important area than food quality and purity where the rights and expectations of the consumer must be paramount. If consumers cannot trust the quality and purity of our food, we are in trouble. Ireland, as a major world producer of food, must have the highest standards, rigorously enforced and effectively policed. Because of the importance of food production and processing to our economy and international trade, we must not have a shadow of suspicion attaching to our production. That is why, in the case of BSE, Irish Governments have acted decisively from the moment the disease was identified and shown to be transmissable. From the outset, we have developed a policy based on: making BSE a compulsory notifiable disease; the establishment of an active BSE surveillance programme; a ban on the feeding to ruminants of protein products originating from ruminants; complete destruction of all infected cattle; and the slaughter and exclusion from the food chain of all cattle in herds in which the disease has been diagnosed. Would that the United Kingdom authorities had acted in the same fashion.