Three Fianna Fáil MEPs have broken ranks with the Government by calling for an immediate ban by the European Commission on the importation of Brazilian beef because of foot-and-mouth outbreaks there.
Liam Aylward, Seán Ó Neachtain and Brian Crowley called for the ban yesterday despite the fact that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Minister for Agriculture and Food Mary Coughlan have persistently opposed such a move.
Questioned about their stance, a spokesman for the trio said "it is clear from our statement we have formed a different view from the people at home".
Their statement was issued prior to a meeting of the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament tomorrow, where EU Consumer Commissioner Markos Kyprianou will explain the commission's stance on Brazilian beef imports.
Details of a new Irish report on the dangers posed from Brazilian beef imports, drawn up by epidemiology expert Dr Kevin Dodd, will also be published tomorrow. It calls for an imports ban.
The MEPs said in early September they had issued a statement asking that the Brazilian government be given one month to come up with a comprehensive plan to address EU concerns.
Mr Aylward said the Brazilian government had not addressed EU concerns relating to vaccination for foot-and-mouth and delays in testing cattle.
"I am left with no choice today other than to call on the EU Commissioner for Public Health Marcos Kyprianou and the EU Commissioner for Agriculture Mariann Fischer Boel to impose an immediate ban on Brazilian beef imports into the EU."
Mr Ó Neachtain said the US and Australia banned Brazilian beef imports while applying rigorous standards to EU farmers.
"We cannot allow a situation to continue whereby there is one rule for EU beef products and another rule for third countries selling their beef products into the EU."
Brian Crowley, who is president of the UEN group in the parliament, said it appeared that every time there was an EU inspection visit to Brazil, EU officials came back with more questions than answers.
In his report Dr Dodd, a consultant veterinary surgeon, concluded it was likely some animals presented at Brazilian slaughter houses approved for EU meat exports would on occasion be carriers of the foot-and-mouth virus despite the vaccination programme.
In the report, commissioned by the IFA, Dr Dodd said the importation of meat from Brazil "involves unnecessary risk and should be discontinued".
He said there continued to be significant differences and shortcomings on residue testing and on the authorisation, availability and control of veterinary medicines in Brazil compared to the EU.