SPANISH police and the EU Fraud Team are investigating the location and current owner of 300 tonnes of Irish beef diverted from Iraq nine years ago, a meeting of the Dail Public Accounts Committee heard yesterday.
The beef, part of a number of consignments destined for Iraq, was diverted to the Canary Islands, which was not then part of the EU, according to Mr Michael Dowling, secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
The committee, which was dealing with the question of EU export refund disallowances, heard that the securities being held against this shipment were being withheld and would be forfeited if irregularities were found.
Mr Dowling said he accepted that the shippers had the right to divert beef shipments elsewhere if, for instance, buyers in Iraq or Egypt refused to accept it. But this could only be done with the express permission of the Department of Agriculture because the level of export refunds varied from zone to zone and it could affect payments.