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Animal Slaughtering Numbers

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 March 2013

Tuesday, 26 March 2013

Questions (163)

Barry Cowen

Question:

163. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of lambs and sheep from Northern Ireland and Britain respectively that have been slaughtered in factories in this jurisdiction in each month since March 2011; the systems in place to record such slaughtering to ensure traceability of all sheep and lambs slaughtered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14734/13]

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Written answers

Details regarding number of sheep from Northern Ireland slaughtered in plants approved by my Department since March 2011 are given in the Table below. These figures are based on weekly returns made by sheep slaughtering plants. Plants are not asked to provide returns in respect of the number of sheep slaughtered that originated in Britain or elsewhere as the numbers involved are negligible.

I wish to reassure the Deputy that all sheep entering a slaughter plant (regardless of origin) are accompanied with a Food Chain Information (FCI) document which, among other details, indicates their origin, who supplied them, number of sheep in the consignment and the sheep individual ear tag identification numbers. Traceability systems in sheep slaughter houses ensure that all carcases of sheep slaughtered can be traced back to this FCI document by attaching a label which has a carcase number or the sheep identification number attached.

Sheep from Northern ireland Slaughtered at DEPARTMENT Approved Premises by month from Mar 2011 to Feb 2013

2011

Month

Lambs & hoggets

Ewes & Rams

Total

march

28,699

2,561

31,260

April

24,524

3,322

27,846

may

24,513

2,218

26,731

June

31,812

1,962

33,774

July

39,813

2,134

41,947

August

46,592

4,755

51,347

september

41,146

3,999

45,145

October

43,723

2,914

46,637

november

42,836

3,325

46,161

December

35,295

2,426

37,721

2012

Month

Lambs & Hoggets

Ewes & Rams

Total

January

33,223

2,135

35,358

February

26,083

1,993

28,076

march

24,012

1,380

25,392

April

20,169

1,616

21,785

may

19,098

2,274

21,372

June

22,960

1,604

24,564

July

28,880

1,540

30,420

August

37,259

2,201

39,460

september

40,387

1,654

42,041

October

46,434

3,228

49,662

november

43,798

4,845

48,643

December

39,147

3,073

42,220

2013

Month

Lambs & Hoggets

Ewes & Rams

Total

January

47,954

5,299

53,253

February

40,661

5,629

46,290

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