I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."
I am pleased to introduce this Bill and I welcome Deputy Connaughton, the Opposition spokesman on agriculture, food and rural development, and other Members to this important debate. This is a crucially important Bill. Its purpose is to streamline and strengthen existing controls. It is directed at reassuring consumers regarding the safety of Irish beef. It will also strengthen the commercial trading infrastructure for the beef sector as a whole. It is landmark legislation. I was pleased to introduce this important Bill in the Seanad so that there would be adequate time during the course of the summer for public debate on it. I would welcome any proposed amendments to strengthen the Bill. Everybody is aware we have a fine food industry which has a good reputation in the production of quality food, but we must copperfasten that with legislation. It is important for consumers worldwide that there is no weak link in the food production chain. The production of safe food is non-negotiable and those who consume Irish food must have confidence in that assurance.
Beef is a multi-million pound industry which makes a substantial contribution to the Irish economy. In 1998 output from primary beef production, excluding direct payments, amounted to £1.1 billion or about 2 per cent of GNP. There are approximately 130,000 farmers engaged in beef production in Ireland and beef is the major enterprise in some 90,000 of these holdings. In addition, some 10,000 persons are employed in the processing sector and in associated industries at livestock marts, the butchering trade, the retail trade and ancillary industries. By any standard, it is a cornerstone of the Irish economy.
The maintenance and development of a strong, vibrant beef industry has been a matter of concern for all Governments in the past. In the beginning of 1996, the Irish beef industry was in a strong international position. Irish beef was commanding prices close to 90 per cent of the EU price through the establishment of a strong presence on the higher end of the European markets and reduced reliance on the lower end of opportunistic markets. Confidence in the industry was high. The advent of the BSE crisis in March 1996 changed all that.