Letters to the Editor: When is a frozen fish not frozen?

Most of us would reasonably assume “never frozen” means exactly that — not fish held just short of freezing for days at a time.

Most of us would reasonably assume 'never frozen' means exactly that — not fish held just short of freezing for days at a time.

If you’ve ever paid extra for “never frozen” salmon in an Irish supermarket, a recent EU court ruling suggests you may not be getting what you think. The decision isn’t about a food scare or a safety breach. It’s about something more everyday — whether labels that are legally correct are actually telling consumers the truth.

At issue is a common industry practice known as “stiffening”. To make salmon easier to slice, producers cool it to sub-zero temperatures without technically freezing it. Under EU rules, fish treated this way can still be sold as “never frozen”.

Enquiry needed

The not guilty verdict in the Limerick traffic ticket case, was to many — and I’m sure many serving and retired members of the Garda Síochána — a well-deserved outcome in a case that should never have seen the light of day.

Questions need to be asked, not only of the DPP, but of senior Garda officers, both serving and retired, who oversaw this investigation: Why did it get this far, and who ultimately pursued it with such vigour?

For many decades, gardaí who issued on-the-spot fines were approached by concerned citizens, politicians, and councillors, to look favourably upon them and allow for the cancellation of tickets.

This wasn’t something new, and those in senior management positions, even those in Garda HQ would have themselves been approached to cancel tickets and some would have cancelled or quashed them.

Thanks to the hard work of the Garda Representative Association, and the legal defence they provided, these charges were not proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The jury, ordinary citizens of this State, must also be commended for their fair and impartial verdict.

To superintendent O’Neill and his four accused, while this was a very trying, humiliating, and exhausting experience for you, you can now hold your heads high and know that you did nothing wrong in the eyes of the law, but also in the eyes of the citizens of this State.

An enquiry into the failure by senior management in Garda HQ, and those who oversaw the investigation, is what is required.

Otherwise, ordinary Garda members who followed this case will wonder, given all of the changes imposed on them this last decade, is the job, once a career, worth it?

Christy Galligan (retired garda sergeant), Letterkenny, Co Donegal