asked the Minister for Health whether shops and restaurants are complying with statutory requirements in relation to the sale and display of meat products; and the action, if any, he intends taking in this regard.

All food premises, including shops and restaurants, must comply with the provisions of food legislation directed at preventing a danger to public health. In the limited number of situations in which inspection has shown non-compliance, prosecutions have been brought by the health boards.

Meat products are considered a vulnerable foodstuff in the context of public health and particular attention is paid to these products in the course of inspection.

Will the Minister state if his inspectors have any information regarding the number of shops and restaurants that are not complying fully with the statutory requirements?

That seems to be another question.

I do not have that information.

I am trying to get an idea of the extent of the problem. My information is that many shops and restaurants are not complying properly with the regulations and there is a worrying degree of falling standards in shops and restaurants, particularly with regard to the display and sale of meat products. I wonder if the inspectors are telling the Minister there is need for concern? How big is the problem?

In 1983 some seven hotels and holiday camps, 40 restaurants, seven butchers and pork butchers and seven fishmongers were prosecuted successfully. In respect of premises used for the manufacture and processing of food other than ice cream, some seven were prosecuted successfully, as were seven mobile vehicles and 13 public houses selling food. In all there were 124 prosecutions in 1983 in respect of the food hygiene regulations. I hope that all those who endured the experience are still alive.

There is evidence that much of the contamination is due to the unhygienic handling of foodstuffs by handlers. Would the Minister consider initiating a health education programme dealing with the handling of food, starting in the schools?

The health boards and ourselves endeavour to do that. To put the matter in perspective, there are 3,170 public houses selling food and of these 13 were successfully prosecuted. There are 11,000 butchers and pork butchers and of these seven were prosecuted successfully. Out of 86 fishmongers seven were successfully prosecuted. There are 10,000 restaurants and of that number 40 were prosecuted successfully in 1983. It is very bad to have had 40 prosecutions but that is out of 10,000. We are not that dirty.