There has been an element of whistling past the graveyard in the Coalition Government's response to the latest international consumer scare involving mad cow disease (BSE) and its human variant CJD. As beef consumption in Europe halved and the price of cattle plummeted, the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, was dragged along in the wake of other European ministers as they sought to reassure their populations. What had been unacceptable in the Dail only days earlier - a Labour Party proposal for the banning of meat and bone meal in all animal feeds here - was suddenly acceptable. But the establishment of a fund to compensate Irish vCJD victims and their families was still regarded as inappropriate because of the negative message it might send abroad.
The Minister's caution is understandable. There are an estimated 80,000 farmers involved and he himself estimated the latest BSE crisis could cost the Exchequer as much as £100 million. But former Fine Gael minister, Mr Ivan Yates has spoken of "a time bomb" that could cost several times that amount. He painted a doomsday scenario in which meat processors and the rendering industry would suspend activities because there was no longer a market for meat and bone meal. The only alternative, he said, was for the Government to purchase the meat and bone meal, store it and dispose of it. And, because of new EU rules, the Government would have to fund a screening and slaughtering programme for all animals over 30 months intended for the food chain.
The Purchase for Destruction scheme has been identified by Dr Patrick Wall, chief executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, as a real opportunity to eradicate BSE from the national herd and to protect the consumer. He urged that all animals more than four years old - those born before the feeding of meat and bone meal was banned - should be tested for prions and removed from the national herd. A combination of testing animals of over 30 months and purchasing older cows for destruction would offer maximum protection to consumers, he said.
This State produces 140,000 tonnes of meat and bone meal every year. About 95 per cent is exported and the remainder is added, under licence, to feedstuffs for the pig industry. There is a voluntary ban on its use by poultry producers. But for so long as such cheap material is available, there is a risk that it will be used illegally by unscrupulous farmers. The European Commission has ordered a six months ban on feeding the material to all animals and the Government has agreed. It is intended to store the material here on a temporary basis, but huge quantities are involved. And, given the potential risks to human health, the temporary ban may become permanent if consumer concerns are to be met. In those circumstances, at least one incinerator will be required to get rid of meat and bone meal. The Government should not wait until it is overwhelmed by events. An incinerator should be built as soon as possible.