It is now 25 days since the public was told by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, that the Tesco Everyday Value beef burger contained 29.1% horsemeat. The chief technology specialist of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland said at that time that he was stunned by the outcome of that particular test last October, which had been an outside of the box type exercise. It has now been revealed that a burger produced at another processing plant contains 75% horsemeat, which makes a mockery of the Minister's theory at that time that this equine DNA was perhaps caused by something in the air. We can now dismiss that earlier assessment by the Minister.

I put it to the Taoiseach that the primary instinct of the Government and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has been to protect the industry as opposed to vindicating the right of the consumer who eats the burger in the belief that it contains what is stated on the package. The customer has been profoundly let down by these revelations. This drip feeding of revelation has sapped confidence in the industry and the capacity of the system to bring clarity to the situation. The Minister's approach to this issue has been tardy and has lacked coherence, clarity and certainty.

It is worth recalling the initial response of Tesco to the revelations of three weeks ago, namely, that this was either the result of illegality or gross negligence. Perhaps the penny should have dropped then.

Thank you, Deputy.

Why is the specialist investigative unit only now being brought into the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to investigate this matter? Why is the Garda Síochána only now being brought into this situation? This issue has been ongoing since last October, yet these two units are only now being brought in.

On the previous occasion I raised this issue, I asked for transparency and that all documentation be revealed to the House. It was not. I also asked who was heading up the investigation. We still do not know that. A request was made today to the Department for a report on the matter. The Department said no report will be published following the declarations of last weekend by the Minister.

I put it to the Taoiseach that what is required now is a full, transparent, comprehensive and independent inquiry, at one remove from the industry and Department, to get to the bottom of this issue once and for all. That is the only way to protect the customer and the industry.

Deputy Martin is aware that the Minister has been at pains to point out that there is no health issue involved for the consumer. That was his first comment. The requirement is to get to the bottom of this issue and to ascertain the facts and truth.

Studies and tests carried out by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland have been exceptionally competent. It is because of the nature and the accuracy of these tests that this came to light in the first place. Tesco, as a major company, had a number of people dealing with this but it was the evidence from the FSAI test and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine investigation team which sourced an element of this product from Portugal-----

Poland.

The Taoiseach said "Portugal". He might want to correct this.

The Deputy is aware tests showed 75% equine DNA in Polish-labelled raw material at Rangeland Foods in Monaghan. The Minister has requested a special investigation unit at the Department to pursue this along with the Garda. Obviously there is information which leads the Department and the Minister to make this decision. The focus is on the full supply chain involved. The Minister has been before the committee since 3 p.m. dealing in a full, transparent and comprehensive fashion with all of the questions which need to be asked and answered to ascertain the truth about this. He has also been in contact on a very regular basis with the Polish authorities and has invited a Polish team to visit Ireland to assist in the inquiries on how this could have gotten into the system in the first place. The FSAI is liaising with the Northern Ireland food safety authority.

It is important not to prejudice the outcome of any investigation in any way by jumping to conclusions which might not be accurate. The FSAI has indicated there is no reason to suggest there is any food safety concern involved. I heard statements about that this morning. Rangeland Foods itself notified the Department. The Department inspectors entered the plant last Friday and took samples, as the Deputy is aware, which confirmed 75% equine DNA in a Polish-labelled raw material ingredient. In this case the Polish-labelled raw material was imported through a meat trader based in Ireland. Production has been voluntarily suspended at Rangeland Foods pending the outcome of the investigation. The company has indicated that none of this product has entered the food chain and that only Irish ingredients are used for product here. The special investigation unit is investigating this serious issue in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the FSAI. I would not like to prejudice the outcome of this.

As Deputy Martin is well aware, the FSAI has an exceptional name in terms of its independence, the way it does its business and the very high level of testing which now applies here. Changes will apply from this situation but it is necessary in the interests of the consumer, the industry and the jobs in the industry that the veracity be established, the truth be known and that action be taken quickly, conclusively and comprehensively. This is the situation being dealt with by the Minister.

I heard Pat McDonagh on the radio this morning speaking about Supermacs which carried out its own testing which was similar to that carried out by the FSAI. Clearly no equine ingredient was found there, which is reassurance for his very many consumers.

I am no wiser now than I was three weeks ago, only that the situation is far more serious and getting worse. The bottom line is that I do not know who has been conducting the investigation for the past three weeks.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the FSAI.

I do not know what role the FSAI has played in the investigation. The Taoiseach is correct that the FSAI has been at arms length. It should be at arms length. It was established under the Minister for Health in the first instance to avoid capture by the industry after previous experiences. Originally we were told the source of the raw material in the ingredients could have been Dutch or Spanish but now it has moved to being Polish. Last night the Minister stated he was confident it was from Poland. This has been nuanced to "Polish-labelled ingredients". Will the Taoiseach identify the meat trader involved?

The real crunch issue is that everyone keeps saying the food is safe. Scientists and experts in Britain have queried this ringing assertion on the basis we do not know the origin of the horsemeat. Let us forget about DNA; this is horsemeat with 75% in this particular burger and 29% in the burger three weeks ago.

It is not 75% in a burger. It is 75% of an ingredient.

It is 75%.

In the ingredient.

Through the Chair please. Thank you.

Things have moved on. Look at the latest information.

We cannot have a discussion here.

The point I am making is that the chief technology expert stated the DNA traces are negligible and irrelevant; it is that the burger in Tesco and the burger in Rangeland Foods are, as he stated, baffling and he could not make it out. If we cannot make it out and if the chief scientist involved cannot make out the origins of it and where it came from let us stop the ringing declarations about safety-----

Could we have a question please?

-----and find out where this material came from and what quality it is.

On the last occasion we discussed this matter I raised this point with the Tánaiste. There have been many revelations about the illegal slaughter of horsemeat in this country. Can we be absolutely sure that horsemeat legally or illegally slaughtered in the country is not now finding its way into the food chain? Can we say this with any confidence given what has occurred? I note the comments of the deputy chief inspector of the veterinary body in Poland who stated they are not getting positive results in the tests they have carried out in the facilities flagged to them by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. We need an independent and transparent inquiry into this to give confidence to people, because there have been so many different stories in recent weeks that people do not believe anything at present. They are particularly concerned about the food they are eating because the authenticity of the food is at risk and the veracity of food labelling will be in shreds if something is not done quickly.

I thank the Deputy and ask him to resume his seat. We are way over time.

Deputy Martin is wrong when he says 75% of the burgers were equine DNA; it was 75% of the ingredient as a raw material which was Polish labelled which was 75% equine DNA. This is different to the way Deputy Martin presented it and he should get it right. It is also important to note that in the case of Silvercrest there is a clear paper trail involved which suggests the product was purchased directly from Poland, but in the case of Rangeland Foods a Polish-labelled raw material ingredient was sourced through a meat trader in Ireland. This needs to be authenticated and verified.

Who is the meat trader?

If the Taoiseach knows this then he knows the source.

With regard to who is conducting the investigation, it is the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the FSAI which conducted the tests in the first place. I point out again to Deputy Martin it is because of the high level of professionalism and competency of these tests that this was determined in the first instance.

That is not true. The bottom line is it was an outside the box exercise.

We are way over time. Other Deputies are waiting to ask questions.

The chief technology specialist of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland could not believe the outcome. He stumbled onto something and the system has not followed up on it with the degree of urgency it should have.

If Deputy Martin is now saying the FSAI DNA tests are not up to standard then prove it.

I am not saying that at all. This was not a systemic test. That is my point.

These are the tests that determined equine DNA in the ingredient. Deputy Martin came in here and stated that 75% of the burgers were equine. It is the raw ingredient which was labelled either Polish verified by paper trail, or labelled and sourced through a meat importer here, which now must be determined.

It is "either or" now. A minute ago the Taoiseach said the opposite.

This needs to be done and dealt with.

A number of plants here are approved for slaughtering horses and I am assured by the Department that no horse material is used in Irish burgers-----

Clearly it is.

-----and clearly this has been the case.

Of course it was used in Ireland.

This is the ingredient which was sourced by paper trail from Poland or labelled as a Polish raw ingredient.

Twenty tonnes of the ingredient were imported by Silvercrest alone.

Get on top of it.

We do not even know how long it has been going on. It could have been going on for years.

Get a handle on it.

I have been generous with the time because of the seriousness of the situation. This is such a serious situation that I ask people not to shout across the floor. It is too serious to be dealt with in this way.

I call Deputy MacDonald without interruption.