It was mentioned last night that amendments 21, 22 and 23 more or less go together. Section 33 deals with the method of veterinary examination. There are certain stages of this examination: (a) Ante-mortem examination; (b) that the animal must be slaughtered in the presence of the veterinary examiner; (c) that the carcase of such animal must be opened and disembowelled in his presence; (d) that the carcase and viscera must be examined by the veterinary examiner. I believe that any disease that can possibly be detected by a veterinary examiner ante-mortem can also be detected post-mortem. Therefore there is no necessity for the veterinary examiner to examine the animal ante-mortem. I believe also that there is no necessity for him to be present while the animal is being disembowelled. If the factory people want the work done as quickly as possible they may possibly be held up waiting for the examiner to come along, and may miss some boat that they want to export the carcases on. They may be put to very serious inconvenience by so waiting. I know it is the practice in some places where veterinary examination is carried out—I saw it in the Dublin abattoir, in the case of cattle at any rate—that the animal is disembowelled, but the viscera are left connected with the carcase until the veterinary inspector comes along. In the meantime, while waiting for him, the people in the slaughterhouse can proceed with the cleansing of the carcase and get ready for the necessary operation of preparing the carcase for export. The Minister, according to an amendment he has on the Paper, appears to agree that it is not necessary that the animal should be slaughtered in the presence of the inspector. But the Minister appears to believe that it is necessary that the veterinary examiner should see the animal before slaughter, and also that the animal should be disembowelled in his presence. These are the two points on which I differ with the Minister. I believe that it is not necessary for the veterinary examiner to see the animal before slaughter, and not necessary for him to be present while it is being disembowelled. I agree that it is necessary that the veterinary examiner should be present when the viscera are being disconnected from the carcase, but disembowelling up to that point can be done before the examiner arrives.
If the Minister would agree on these points, it would save a great deal of trouble to exporters of fresh meat if they were permitted to go on with the business of killing and disembowelling the animal and cleaning the carcase, leaving the viscera connected with the carcase until the veterinary inspector arrives. It would also save a considerable amount of time to the veterinary examiners if they have only to come along and examine a carcase with the viscera connected and when everything is ready. They will then be able to get through their examination very quickly and the examination will be effective. As they will be able to get through the examination very quickly, and less time will be taken, the fees which it will be necessary to pay to these examiners will be much less than under the Bill as it stands.