THE Tanaiste, Mr Spring, has strongly rejected IFA criticism of the Government's handling of the BSE crisis, and dismissed the suggestion that he should travel to Russia or Iran to try to have their bans on Irish beef reversed.
Instead, he said, there must be a concentration on producing the scientific and veterinary evidence to prove that Irish beef is safe. Only when that is done should a political visit to Iran or Russia be considered.
The Government, he maintained yesterday, "has done everything possible in relation to protecting our markets and dealing with the serious crisis on the ground". Mr Spring was speaking to reporters after addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
A trip by him to Iran or Russia would be pointless at this stage, he went on. "First we have to satisfy the importing countries that our product is of top quality. To do that we have to have technical and veterinary evidence. If there is a need for political involvement after that is done we would consider it then."
He asked what the reaction of Irish consumers would be if Ireland had stopped taking produce from Iran or Russia for some reason, "and politicians came over from there to tell us we had to take their goods. We wouldn't accept it."