Rory O'Hanlon
Question:824 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the total number of people out of work, part-time and full-time, as a result of the BSE crisis. [15218/96]
Written Answers. - Unemployment in Beef Sector.
The throughput of cattle at Irish slaughtering facilities for the period 1 January to 29 June 1996 was 1.8 per cent less than that of last year. While throughput at the height of the BSE crisis was down 60 per cent on the corresponding period last year, in recent weeks it has stabilised with throughput for the four weeks in June this year up by 12 per cent on last year. A proportion of those employed in the beef processing and by-products sectors were laid off at the beginning of this crisis. However, the levels of permanent full-time and part-time directly-employed staff are, for the most part, back to normal with a maximum variance of 5 per cent on comparable figures for last year. The further processing sector has also substantially recovered the direct employment lost due to the BSE crisis.