Taoiseach rejects FG claims that pork recall was a disaster

TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen has rejected Fine Gael claims that the recall of all pork products had been an "unmitigated disaster", and insisted "there is no lack of urgency on the part of the Government" to deal with the issue.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny told the Taoiseach in the Dáil that "you pressed the crisis button, you decided on a total recall, and you have no plan to back it up".

Mr Kenny said the recall was "turning out to be a total disaster".

Pig farmers "are not to blame for this crisis. The processors are not to blame for this crisis" and he said "6,000 workers are on protective notice and housewives all over the country are faced with imported bacon from Denmark, Holland and Britain in retail outlets."

If the Government knew the scale of the problem "why has it not made a decision and given processors the opportunity to return to work, with or without European assistance?"

If the Minister for Agriculture so directed, processing plants could be operating "today and those workers on protective notice can get back to work. The Taoiseach needs to take decisive action quickly."

However, Mr Cowen said: "We took decisive action over the weekend."

Referring to a potential compensation package, he stressed that taxpayers were being asked to make a contribution, and they wanted to do so "commensurate to what we can achieve, without leaving the taxpayer open to contingent liability".

He added that "if it were simply a matter of instructing people to go back into production that would have happened before now".

Mr Cowen said producers and processors of meat could "at any time" have the source of their supply certified by the local veterinary authority and have product back for sale.

Asked about an EU aid package, he said he had spoken by phone yesterday to the president of the European Commission and explained "the need for the commission to see in what way it can assist".