Desmond J. O'Malley
Ceist:11 Mr. O'Malley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if the Government will establish a national food inspectorate, independent of his Department. [19590/96]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - National Food Inspectorate.
The Government has recently considered the report of an interdepartmental group comprised of representatives of all relevant Government Departments which reviewed the arrangements in place for the control and supervision of the food production chain. A further report on the implementation of the group's recommendations is now being prepared by my Department and the Department of Health. This report will be submitted to Government shortly and will deal, inter alia, with institutional aspects of food safety, including arrangements for the independent monitoring of the food inspectorate activities of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and other Departments and agencies.
In view of the serious damage to the credibility of our general food inspection system, will the Minister agree it would be desirable that his Department should not be included in an independent food inspectorate, as I suggest in the question, or that it should have only a subsidiary role? May I take his reply to mean the new inspectorate being considered as a result of the interdepartmental report will, in effect, monitor what his Department does rather than replace it as an independent agency?
There is no clear-cut responsibility. The Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise and Employment has responsibility for consumer affairs, the Minister for Health and the health boards are responsible for food safety, which includes checking for salmonella in supermarkets, while my Department is responsible for animal health, slaughtering arrangements and so on. These do not make up a single homogeneous group. Veterinarians will continue to do animal health-related work.
It is a source of concern — this was highlighted at a veterinary conference over the weekend — that there is no uniformity in terms of local authority supervision of abattoirs. It is my intention to bring proposals to Government to unify this veterinary service under the Department along the lines of the service provided at export plants. The present arrangements are not satisfactory.
That is only one aspect of the matter, unifying the service under the Department may not be the solution to anybody's problems. Is the Minister aware that consumers at home and abroad have expressed concern about the quality of certain aspects of Irish food, that there is no uniformity in the way these are inspected, that while there is a high level of inspection and confidence in some products, this is not true in the case of others? The current example is the fears of Russian consumers. In that connection is it true the Minister was not present at the meeting in Dublin Airport at which the Protocol under which three counties are excluded from supplying beef to the Russian market was signed?
The Food Safety Advisory Board advises the Government on food safety. One of the matters being considered is whether it should become an independent Food Safety Board with statutory authority. All aspects of the Russian deal will be the subject of a lengthy debate tomorrow which will be followed by a one hour question and answer session. It will also be debated on Private Members' Business tonight. A number of questions put by other Deputies were ruled out of order. I will be happy to answer all questions tomorrow.
If it is not true, will the Minister avail of the opportunity to stand up and say "no"? It is my information that it is, that the Minister was not present. Is that not remarkable given the huge consequences of the Protocol which involves the repartition of Ireland?
There is more to come.
I did not say I was in Dublin Airport on Saturday morning.
The Minister said he was not present. Does this not seem——
I did not sign the Protocol.
How long was the barrel of the gun?
It was sawn off.
The phrase "a gun was held to my head" was used.
Metaphorically speaking.
Obviously, the gun was held at a long distance.
A blunderbuss.
The Minister said one of the options being examined by the Government is whether the Food Safety Advisory Board should become an executive or administrative board. Will he bear in mind that it may well do the sale of Irish products abroad a great deal of good if an independent board not dominated by his Department was seen as the inspectorate and certifying authority?
The Government still has to make decisions but what is in mind is that the board will oversee co-ordination. There has been a reference to the thousands of VIs, TVIs and so on. It is the same people who will oversee veterinary inspections of carcasses and certification for export purposes. Work on the animal health aspects will continue to be done by AOs. It would not be appropriate to retrain people, there are different contracts of employment. We do not need to reinvent the wheel. It is absolutely essential that it is accepted that the veterinary service of my Department is independent in terms of its credibility and is not politicised. I have every confidence in its standing and credibility.
We now proceed to Question No. 12. As the time available for priority questions is exhausted, the two remaining priority questions may be taken in ordinary question time.