Vol. 370 No. 15
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Agriculture, with regard to Parliamentary Question No. 78 of 26 November last, if his Department has responsibility for checking those scales used to determine payments to farmers by firms which sell into intervention.
160.
(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Agriculture, the dates on which those scales used by an agricultural co-operative society based in Waterford to determine farmers' payments were checked in 1982, 1983 and 1984 and the results of those checks.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 159 and 160 together.
In pursuance of their powers under the European Communities (Beef Carcase Classification) Regulation, 1982, (SI No. 320 of 1982) classification officers implement controls to ensure, among other things, that weighing procedures and recordings of weights are accurate. Daily checks are carried out to ensure that scales are adjusted correctly. This is in addition to the checks carried out by weights and measures inspectors. Classification staff also carry out cross checks on a random basis against the weights recorded by factory staff. A sample of carcases are re-weighed each week by classification staff for comparison with the weights recorded after slaughter.
