Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 May 2020
684. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of meat plants that have recorded instances of Covid-19; the location of each plant affected; the number of instances per centre; the measures enacted by his Department to minimise the instances and to protect the workers at these and other plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7912/20]
View answerThe information with regard to the numbers of workers tested or positive in meat plants is a matter for the personnel involved, the Food Businesses and the Health Service Executive.
A national Outbreak Control team has been established by the HSE to deal with all issues relating to Covid 19 in meat plants. My Department is represented on this committee and it is expected that recommendations, including any in relation to testing, will issue from this group in due course. Any clusters of cases in individual meat plants, in common with clusters in other workplaces, are dealt with by local HSE-led outbreak control teams.
Food Business Operators have put in place a range of protective practices and equipment to protect employee safety and these measures may vary slightly from plant to plant, but may include the reduction of throughput rates at the plant, temperature checks on entry into the plant, the extension of operating hours and other safeguards such as “podding”, the provision of additional PPE, the use of perspex screens and the provision of additional facilities to support physical distancing measures.
