THE Government had a majority of 10 in a vote on its handling of the beef crisis. In private members time, Fianna Fail tabled a motion condemning the Government's "failure to deal with the BSE crisis" and deploring its failure to reorganise the beef regime under the Common Agriculture Policy.

An amendment from the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, endorsing Government action on these issues was carried by 61 to 51.

The Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Jimmy Deenihan, said the Fianna Fail motion was "misguided and inaccurate" in that it failed to acknowledge the efforts of the Department, the Government and State agencies during the last six months to protect the Irish beef industry from the worst effects of the BSE crisis.

The current problems stemmed from a lack of consumer confidence in beef. This created "a new imbalance" in the beef market and increased the EU surplus by up to a million tonnes. The EU Commission's proposals for reforming the beef support system were designed to restore balance and had to be seen in that context.

Mr Hugh Byrne, deputy Fianna Fail agriculture spokesman, said the crisis had never been at the top of the Government's agenda. The Tanaiste, Mr Spring, and the Labour Party "prefer to perpetuate their grudge match with the beef industry rather than advance the national interest".

Mr Peadar Clohessy (PD, Limerick East) said the key to success for the Irish beef industry lay in quality assurance and customer assurance. "As long as market confidence can be maintained in the Irish product all doors will be open to it."