Vol. 445 No. 6
288 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will consider the contents of correspondence from a person (details supplied) in Dublin 8 in relation to the enforcement of the Abattoirs Act; if he will make a statement on the matter; and if he will make time available and give assistance to the person concerned to carry out the necessary renovations. [94/94]
Under the Abattoirs Act, 1988, all abattoirs engaged in the supply of meat to the domestic market are required to be licensed annually and to meet the standards laid down in the regulations made under the Act.
To facilitate abattoir owners, provision was made in the Act for upgrading to the prescribed standard to be carried out over a five year period commencing 1 September 1989.
The abattoir for which details were supplied does not meet the minimum standards prescribed by regulations and it is considered that it would not be possible to upgrade it to the necessary standards. As the statutory limitation of five years for ugrading abattoirs expired on 1 September 1994, I regret that no further concessions can be made in this case and that slaughtering at this premises cannot be continued. It should be possible for the owner concerned to have his animals slaughtered at other approved premises in the Dublin area. There are no funds available to me out of which domestic abattoirs can be grant aided.
