Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 11 Feb 1998

Vol. 487 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - County Carlow Meat Plants.

Mr. Browne

(Carlow-Kilkenny): I thank the Chair for allowing me to raise this matter and the Minister for coming to reply to this Adjournment debate. I was knocked for six when I discovered the position that prevailed in two meat plants in Carlow. I had some involvement with Ballon Meats when it did what it was asked to do, to spend money upgrading its plant. It spent £1.5 million on upgrading it to the required European standard. Last November it was visited, checked and passed as having reached that standard. The difficulty is the Minister's Department, through the fault of the Minister or that of the Minister for Finance although that is immaterial at this stage, will not appoint a vet that will allow that private company, which has invested £1.5 million in upgrading its plant, to export meat. That is penny pinching of the worst kind. It is a prime example of being penny wise and pound foolish. Why should anyone believe Department officials who say if a meat plant upgrades its facilities it will be allowed export meat when the Minister will not appoint a vet who will give that plant the freedom to do that and get EC numbers.

Fair Oak Foods Limited took over a plant that was closed for five or six years. It opened last March, employs 100 people and has one permanent agricultural officer and three temporary officers who come and go. It will have to let workers go if there is not stability soon. One permanent agricultural officer is not enough. We want to sell meat and export it to Europe. There is no justification for any saving in that regard. It is an injustice to those who have taken up the call and set about providing employment and a market for farmers for beef. The farmers have done their bit as has the meat plant, but the Department, the adviser, the one who sets the standards, has fallen down badly on the job. I hope the Minister will have a solution to this problem because it is too serious for anything other than that.

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

I thank Deputy Browne for raising this matter. I assume he is referring to local abattoirs which were under the control of the local authorities and now, having reached the required standards as set down in the EU Directive 64/433/EEC, come under the control of the Department of Agriculture and Food.

That directive governs the production and marketing of fresh meat for intra-community trade. It was amended to extend the rules applicable to export approved meat plants to all fresh meat producing establishments in the Community including those which heretofore traded only on the domestic market. That amendment came into effect from January 1993 and was transposed into Irish law in 1997. Under those regulations all abattoirs slaughtering in excess of 1,000 livestock units per year and cutting plants producing in excess of five tonnes of meat per week must meet the full standards of the directive. Premises complying with these regulations are entitled to engage in domestic or international trade. As a result a number of premises previously under the control of the local authorities must now reach the full standards of the directive and be approved by the Department of Agriculture and Food. Any premises approved under the directive must be supervised by the veterinary inspectorate of the Department.

Some of the new EU approved plants may slaughter only one day a week. This slaughtering capacity does not warrant the full-time presence of a veterinary inspector from the Department. These are supervised by departmental vets located in larger meat plants in that region. In addition, the Department employs, on a temporary basis, vets in private practice in those meat plants.

Since 1993 a total of 37 slaughtering and cutting up establishments have reached full directive standard and have been approved by the Department of Agriculture and Food. In addition, two further premises meet the required standards but cannot be approved due to staff constraints. There are a further 26 premises in the process of upgrading and it is anticipated that those premises will reach full directive standard and be ready for approval within the coming year. When approved it is a requirement of the EU directive that supervision is provided by the competent authority, the Department of Agriculture and Food.

Mr. Browne

(Carlow-Kilkenny): The Minister is only coming to the problem I raised now.

Mr. Walsh

This is the key information. The Department of Agriculture and Food, like all other Departments, is obliged to carry out its functions based on a fixed number of staff. The policy of capping civil servant numbers was initiated some time ago. Accordingly, the Department of Agriculture and Food must prioritise its resources to ensure the most effective delivery of services to the public. I am aware of the pressure being put on our veterinary services at present and am ensuring that veterinary numbers are maintained at the maximum allowed by the capping policy. I am also mindful of the problem this situation causes for the plants in question. The Department of Agriculture and Food is currently engaged in discussions with the Department of Finance in relation to employing temporary agricultural officers to enable the newly approved meat premises to export and I will do everything possible to alleviate the situation.

The Deputy made a very reasoned case. There are two plants in Carlow and a number of others around the country which have expended substantial amounts of money on upgrading their premises to the standards set out in the directive and they require supervision. I will take a personal interest in the matter raised by the Deputy to see if the problem can be resolved.