Pauline Tully
Question:578. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health if the Food Safety Authority of Ireland is obliged to inspect and approve of abattoirs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6239/24]
View answerTuesday, 13 February 2024
Questions (578)
Written answers
Regulation (EU) 2017/625 obliges Member States to inspect and assess for approval slaughterhouses as part of Official Controls. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is the central competent authority for enforcement of food legislation in all food businesses after the farm gate, including slaughterhouses. The FSAI discharges that responsibility through service contracts with a variety of official agencies, in accordance with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act 1998.
The official controls on slaughterhouses are contracted by the FSAI to two separate official agencies, depending on the slaughterhouses’ throughput. Small slaughterhouses (as detailed in Statutory Instrument No. 22 of 2020) are supervised by Local Authorities; large slaughterhouses are supervised by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Information on the official controls in all food businesses is contained in the FSAI’s annual reports, which are available on www.fsai.ie.