The French authorities have been sharply criticised for failing to produce an adequate epidemiological report on two outbreaks of illness more than a year ago, allegedly associated with the consumption of mussels exported from Ireland.

Mr Michael Finucane (FG, Limerick West) said it was "deplorable" that France was "allowing such disdain to prevail" by failing to produce the report when 600 tonnes of Irish mussels were locked up following the outbreak. "The French authorities have acted disgracefully by bringing the credibility of the shellfish industry into disrepute."

The Minister of State for Marine, Mr Hugh Byrne, agreed it was a very unsatisfactory situation. He said that in June this year a brief report was received of the reported outbreaks in September last year. However it gave insufficient data.

Mr Byrne said if the necessary information was not received within a month he would go to France to raise the issue with his counterpart there. He could not quantify the losses to the Irish shellfish industry as a result of the outbreak but 230 tonnes of the withdrawn product were subsequently released for sale after testing. "That means 350 tonnes remain, although some of it may have been destroyed."