Page 118 of the programme for Government, under the heading of agriculture and the marine, states: "Our existing systems to ensure producers and consumers can be assured of quality from farm to fork will be strengthened and maintained to the highest of standards." A recent report from DG SANTE, the health and safety arm of the European Commission, found that many of the post mortem inspections of beef exported to the EU from Brazil are performed by factory staff. Only a small number of post-mortem inspections are done by official veterinary staff. This practice, which would be illegal in Europe, is a food safety issue. How can the consumer be assured that all food sold in Ireland but produced outside the EU is of the same standard as food produced within the EU?

I am afraid I will have to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide the Deputy with a more detailed reply. I am sure there are procedures in place to make sure that products are approved before they enter the EU market. In our discussions on Mercosur at a European level, the Government is strongly making the case that we should not allow significant increases in beef coming into the country from South America unless our own industry, which is very sensitive to this, is protected, and we are sure that anything coming into the European food chain is of the highest standard.