Vol. 475 No. 7
229 Mr. M. Kitt asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if his attention has been drawn to the implications of designating one centre for high-risk specified materials in relation to the disposal of dead animals for the whole country; and if he will consult with persons involved in the industry regarding the question of high charges and the inequity involved. [5655/97]
The legal position in relation to the approval and licensing of rendering plants for the purposes of rendering specified risk material is set out in the Diseases of Animals (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) (Specified Risk Material) Order 1997 — S.I. No. 80 of 1997. Article 8 of that order sets out the application procedure for approval while Article 10 provides for the attaching of conditions to a licence.
One plant is approved and licensed at present and is more than capable of accommodating the volume of material being offered for rendering. I will keep the situation under review, especially in the context of the volumes of specified material.
The operation charges is a matter for negotiation between the various parties involved.
