I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time. This Bill proposes to amend in certain respects three groups of Acts relating to meat and meat products—the Agricultural Produce (Fresh Meat) Acts, the Slaughter of Cattle and Sheep Acts and the Pigs and Bacon Acts. In addition, it proposes to incorporate in permanent legislation some existing provisions under Emergency Powers Orders.
The Agricultural Produce (Fresh Meat) Acts, 1930 to 1938, were designed to improve the general standard of the carcase meat and offals exported. Premises at which cattle, sheep and pigs are slaughtered for export have to conform to certain standards before they may be registered under the Fresh Meat Acts, and all animals slaughtered thereat have to be subjected to ante-mortem and postmortem veterinary examination by veterinary examiners appointed by the Minister for Agriculture. It is proposed in the present Bill (Section 2) to continue permanently the existing power to register slaughtering premises on a provisional basis under the Fresh Meat Acts. Originally, provisional registration might be granted only within 12 months of the passing of the 1930 Act, the period being extended to 18 months under the 1931 Act. The purpose then was to give time to the proprietors of premises which did not fully meet all the requirements of the 1930 Act to improve their premises up to the necessary full standard. At the time of the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 1941, when exports of live stock had to cease and exports in carcase form only were possible a number of slaughtering premises not ordinarily engaged in the meat export trade had to be registered to engage in that trade. The power to grant provisional registration was accordingly reintroduced by an Emergency Powers Order. It is desirable that power to grant provisional registration should continue to be available to meet contingencies in the future. The power will also be useful in connection with efforts to improve standards at premises in the light of modern developments in the meat industry.
During the emergency when the canned beef export trade developed it became necessary to permit beefcanning firms who were not themselves the proprietors of registered slaughtering premises, but whose cattle were slaughtered at registered premises for them, to export the offals from the cattle slaughtered for such canning. The Fresh Meat Acts were accordingly amended by an Emergency Powers Order to enable special export licences under these Acts to be granted to firms holding manufacturing licences for meat-canning under the Slaughter of Cattle and Sheep Acts. The Emergency Powers Order also provided for the grant of special licences for the export of livers in a benign condition which were suitable for use for pharmaceutical purposes but which could not be permitted for export for edible purposes (these livers have been distinctively dyed before export to ensure against their use for edible purposes). It is now proposed to incorporate the provisions of the Order in question in permanent legislation (Section 3 of the Bill).
The Bill also provides (Section 8) for the salvaging, under supervision, of livers in a benign condition which should ordinarily be denatured. During the emergency a trade developed in such livers which although unsuitable for human consumption were fit for use for pharmaceutical purposes. Provision was made by an Emergency Powers Order for the salvaging of these livers under suitable supervision and this arrangement is now being put on a permanent basis. As already indicated these livers are distinctively dyed before export to ensure against their use for edible purposes.
It is proposed in the Bill that the fees payable by carcase meat exporters in respect of the veterinary examination of the animals slaughtered by them for export may be altered by statutory regulations. The fees at present payable (cattle 1/- per head, sheep 1½d. per head and pigs 3d. per head) are specified in the Agricultural Produce (Fresh Meat) Act, 1930, and as matters stand they cannot be altered in any way. The Pigs and Bacon Acts provide for charging of a veterinary examination fee not exceeding 6d. per pig in respect of pigs slaughtered at bacon factories and a fee of 5d. per pig has been charged under this authority since 1936. It is now proposed (Sections 4 and 6 of the Bill) that under both sets of Acts the rates of fee may in future be fixed by statutory regulations made by the Minister which will have to be approved by each House of the Oireachtas before becoming operative. The Oireachtas will accordingly have an opportunity of considering any proposed alterations in the fees before the alterations come into effect.
A manufacturing licence under the Slaughter of Cattle and Sheep Acts is required in respect of the manufacture of canned meat products and certain other meat preparations. It is necessary from time to time on technical and other grounds to amplify, or alter otherwise, the conditions attached to such licences but at present this can only be done by revoking the existing licence in each case after a month's notice. It is proposed in the Bill (Section 5) to take power to alter the conditions attached to a manufacturing licence by serving notice of the alteration on the licence holders; this power to modify the licence conditions in a less cumbersome manner is required to meet changes decided upon in consultation with the meat canners generally or necessitated by the requirements of importing countries. Any change would, of course, apply to all manufacturing licences and would not be confined to the licence held by a particular canner.
It was provided by Emergency Powers Order in 1943 that certain classes of casualty pigs, viz., pigs that had been purchased by a bacon curer but died on the way to the factory or that died, otherwise than by slaughter, after arrival at a factory, would qualify for compensation out of the insurance fund under the Pigs and Bacon Acts. It is now proposed to include this technical amendment of the Acts in permanent legislation.