Vol. 514 No. 6
49 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the membership of the expert group appointed to carry out a review of quality assurance schemes in the food area; the recommendations issued from the group; if it has prepared an initial or final report; and the steps, if any, his Department will take on foot of the recommendations of the report. [5064/00]
The composition of this group is currently being finalised and details of its membership will be announced at an early date. The functions of the group will be to review quality schemes currently in operation in the light of the current and future requirements of consumers and the food industry to examine the accreditation procedures applying to each scheme and to make appropriate recommendations. Given the role of these schemes, the work of this group could make an important contribution to the future development of the food industry.
The Minister of State's reply can be compared to what he and his colleagues in the Department have done in regard to food safety and quality – nothing. The programme for Government is the bible of the Progressive Democrats and Fianna Fáil. It promised a science based food safety and quality authority to take over all third country functions in respect to safety regulations.
The Deputy is making a statement. He should confine himself to questions.
I have a number of questions but I have not got any answers. Why has it taken three years to establish this review? Why has it not yet been established on a statutory basis? When does the Minister of State intend to establish it on a statutory basis? He should establish it on that basis and not wait for further announcements and more press cuttings for Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats. When will we see action?
He will see it if he goes racing more often to Ballinrobe.
That is what is wrong the Minister of State and his ministerial colleagues, they spend more time at the races than they do in the Department.
The Deputy would be more humorous if he went to them more often.
The Minister of State knows more about racehorses and rabbits than he does about cattle, sheep and pigs.
I assure the Deputy we have done everything possible to address this matter. We have addressed the area of food safety, which is the responsibility of another Department. Food quality is a priority. A number of quality assurance schemes are in place. I have received information that the protocols under which they were set up are not being applied. For that reason, I intend to set up a group. Such a group would have been put in place before Christmas only for the different events in January with the beef industry. I did not want to upset matters and cause conflict. We will monitor the existing schemes and put in place a group representative of all sectors of the industry, producers, processors, all interested parties and some of the State agencies. I am delighted the Deputy has read the programme for Government.
The Minister of State and his colleagues have not read it – that is the problem.
While that programme works, the Deputy and his colleagues will be on that side of that House. The group will be put in place shortly.
Having regard to the scare about Belgian chocolate before Christmas, what safe guards are in place to reassure people that the food being imported from other countries is of a high standard and that they have food quality schemes in place? I would like the Minister of State to reassure Members and the public that all imported food complies with the provisions of the food quality assurance scheme? Will he ensure such a provision is included in the new Bill?
I will deal with the last part of the Deputy's question first. The National Beef Assurance Scheme Bill was passed last week and it will be signed into law shortly by the President. That scheme will address concerns in this area in the production sector.
I do not have responsibility for the matter referred to by the Deputy but I do not want to avoid answering his question. The dioxins scare and all such scares are alarming but they are a matter for the Food Safety Authority. As the Deputy is aware, certain EU rules and regulations deal with this matter. We have witnessed the terrible impact of the fallout from the dioxin scare in Belgium on its farmers and processors. Given the strict procedures that have been put in place by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Ireland is safe from dioxin and other dangers, including ecoli 0157. Those procedures have been upheld. People are often annoyed at the regulations and standards that apply to production but such procedures have protected Irish farmers and the processing industry from these problems. I know the Deputy supports such procedures because of the way he has worded his question. They are vital if we are to protect the food industry which last year yielded £5.2 billion in revenue.
That concludes priority questions. We now come to ordinary questions and I remind Members that the Minister's initial reply is confined to no more than two minutes and the supplementary questions and replies to them to be no more than one minute each.
