Under the Abattoirs Act, 1988, statutory responsibility for the supervision of day-to-day operations at domestic abattoirs, including ante and post-mortem examination of meat, rests with the relevant local authority. However, in December 1996, as a result of the unsatisfactory situation which had existed for some time in this regard, Government approval was secured for payment by my Department of financial assistance to local authorities in order to assist them in urgently rectifying this situation. My understanding is that all of the local authorities have arranged for veterinary inspections of abattoirs.