THE Taoiseach was pessimistic that the BSE crisis would be resolved in advance of this weekend's European Council meeting in Florence.

"As I speak, we have not reached a point where I can be in any way confident that the matter will be resolved, but I know that work is continuing," Mr Bruton said.

He was replying to the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, who asked if a resolution to the BSE dispute, and British blockage of EU progress, would be resolved before the Florence summit.