Mary Upton
Question:220 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of manufacturing milk producer holdings which were registered on 31 March 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. [5261/03]
Written Answers - Milk Production.
Mary Upton
Question:221 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of the manufacturing milk producer holdings which were inspected in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 regarding their compliance with the terms of S.I. No. 9 of 1996; the number of these holdings which met with the standards; the number which failed; the sanctions which will be applied to those who failed; if they were subsequently re-inspected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5262/03]
Mary Upton
Question:222 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of registered manufacturing milk producer holdings which were not inspected in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002; if they meet the standards laid out in S.I. No. 9 of 1996; and the percentage of holdings his Department hopes to inspect every year. [5263/03]
Mary Upton
Question:223 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of manufacturing milk producer holdings which remain uninspected since 1994 on 31 March 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. [5264/03]
Mary Upton
Question:225 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of liquid milk holdings which were registered under S.I. No. 9 of 1996 on a county basis by the public health protection service of each local authority for 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. [5266/03]
Mary Upton
Question:226 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of liquid milk holdings which were inspected under S.I. No. 9 of 1996 for 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002; the figures for each county; and the frequency by which holdings should be inspected. [5267/03]
Mary Upton
Question:227 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of liquid milk holdings which were found to be non-compliant to rules of inspection under S.I. No. 9 of 1996 for 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. [5268/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 220 to 223, inclusive, and 225 to 227, inclusive, together.
The arrangements put in place in Ireland to implement Council Directive 92/46EEC were based on the registration of all dairy farms by their co-operative or dairy. All farms became subject to inspection to ensure the on-farm facilities were in compliance with the standards set in the directive. The inspections in question were carried out by the Department's dairy produce inspectorate in the case of manufacturing milk and by the local authorities' public health protection service in the case of drinking milk farms. The task of visiting and inspecting dairy farms is a large one and has been ongoing since the introduction of the measure.
The numbers of registered holdings engaging in production on the dates mentioned by the Deputy were 31,404 at 31 March 1999; 29,071 at 31 March 2000; 27,814 at 31 March 2001 and 26,635 at 31 March 2002. The numbers of registered manufacturing milk holdings, in respect of which it was formally confirmed that the prescribed standards continued to be met in each of the milk years in question, were 4,334 in 1998-99; 2,179 in 1999-2000; 2,462 in 2000-01 and 464 in 2001-02. The numbers inspected and deemed compliant are significantly greater and therefore these figures are not an accurate reflection of the situation. The numbers of manufacturing milk holdings which had their registration revoked in each of the years in question were four in 1999; six in 2000; 11 in 2001 and 13 in 2002.
The numbers of deregistered holdings which were registered following re-inspection in each of the years in question were nil in 1999, two in 2000; three in 2001 and six in 2002. Once the registration of a holding is revoked, it may no longer be used to produce milk for human consumption. While the numbers of drinking milk production holdings inspected during each of the years in question are not recorded centrally, the numbers of registered drinking milk production holdings in respect of which it was confirmed that the prescribed standards continued to be met in each of the years in question, were 143 in 1998-99; 176 in 1999-2000; 204 in 2000-01 and 12 in 2001-02.
The figures for each county are set out in the following table:
Drinking Milk Productions Holding which had their Approval under Statutory Instrument No. 9 of 1996 confirmed.
|
County |
1998-1999 |
1999-2000 |
2000-2001 |
2001-2002 |
Total |
|
Carlow |
7 |
16 |
7 |
1 |
31 |
|
Clare |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Cork |
32 |
3 |
51 |
4 |
90 |
|
Dublin |
7 |
29 |
7 |
43 |
|
|
Kerry |
23 |
40 |
63 |
||
|
Kildare |
4 |
25 |
42 |
71 |
|
|
Meath |
19 |
36 |
8 |
63 |
|
|
Offaly |
8 |
14 |
1 |
23 |
|
|
Tipperary |
1 |
1 |
|||
|
Waterford |
17 |
16 |
6 |
39 |
|
|
Westmeath |
1 |
15 |
6 |
5 |
27 |
|
Wexford |
5 |
14 |
25 |
44 |
|
|
Wicklow |
20 |
8 |
10 |
1 |
39 |
|
Total |
143 |
176 |
204 |
12 |
535 |
The numbers of drinking milk production holdings which had their registration revoked in each of the years in question were nil in 1999 and 2000, 11 in 2001 and nil in 2002. The 11 holdings deregistered in 2001 were re-inspected and re-registered in 2002. In January 2003, it was decided, in agreement with the dairy industry, to delegate on-farm inspection to dairies or co-operatives which will be primarily responsible for implementing on-farm standards on the farms from which they purchase milk. My Department will regulate the overall system and, by means of risk-based inspections, ensure that the standards are met throughout the country.