Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 September 2015
506. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has conducted an evaluation of the practices of halal and kosher butchery in terms of animal welfare; and if not, his plans to do so. [30967/15]
View answerSlaughter of animals for meat for human consumption is subject to compliance with relevant EU regulations, which are designed to ensure inter alia that food is safe, to protect human health and to safeguard animal welfare at time of slaughter. Ritual slaughter is carried out under the supervision of my Department. Food business operators who wish to carry out slaughter without pre-stunning must be approved to do so by my Department and must meet detailed procedural requirements laid down by the Department.
In addition, slaughterhouse operatives must be certified by my Department as being competent under a number of headings which include, where appropriate, having reached the required standard in relation to slaughtering in accordance with Article 4(4) of Regulation (EC) 1099/2009 (i.e. ritual slaughter).
