Sir, - If the foot-and-mouth outbreak has highlighted one thing it is that the meat trade is in urgent need of a total overhaul to clear up corruption, sharp practices and blind-eye behaviour of many involved.
Control over the movement of animals before the outbreak seems to have been virtually non-existent. This allowed sheep from outside the State to come here to be processed and later sold as Irish meat abroad. One has to question what checks are in place at meat plants. Is the nod and wink still alive and well? Dare I mention the rancid meat sold to Russia that came to light at the beef tribunal?
We have had numerous cases of angel-dust abuse, BSE scams where cattle were moved to qualify for compensation, slurry fed to cattle to simulate symptoms of BSE, and unrestricted smuggling of cattle and sheep in the Border area. Animals are now to be tagged so that their origin can be traced despite earlier objections to tagging by the IFA. But the Minister has to accept that this is only scratching the surface. We are trying to promote Ireland as a clean food country and at the same time there are some in the industry prepared to sabotage it for a quick buck.
Consumers too, have a contagious form of foot-and-mouth. They can vote with their feet and talk negatively among themselves about meat. If it spreads, the trade will have no one to blame but itself. - Yours, etc.,
Brendan M. Redmond, Hazelbrook Road, Terenure, Dublin 6W.