Vol. 461 No. 3
104 Mrs. O'Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the reason his Department allowed the ICF and the ICMA to be the joint agency which issues the green certificates to persons operating withing the agricultural, food and forestry areas for the supply of concrete materials. [2838/96]
The concrete certificates required for grant-aided farm structures, the "Concrete Manufacturers' Specification Certificates", were introduced in June 1993. The certificates were introduced by the concrete industry itself, operating through the Concrete Manufacturers' Association of Ireland and the Independent Concrete Manufacturers Association, and working in consultation at all stages with the farm building industry, and with officials of my Department. Membership of either association is not a prerequisite for obtaining certificates.
The certificates record not just delivered concrete but also, by way of a comprehensive Technical Audit, the capacity of the relevant plant to produce consistently the required type of concrete. The certificates and the audits form a detailed long-term record of all concrete produced. The audits, to which every manufacturer must regularly submit, are the mechanism whereby the concrete industry regulates itself. The certificates and the audits are kept under continuous review by my Department. The system is working well.
