Vol. 498 No. 5
68 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the action, if any, being taken in relation to a report of an EC inspection mission in March 1998 which found serious deficiencies at AIBP in Nenagh, County Tipperary, and which stated it allowed for the possibility of fraudulent actions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27811/98]
The report of the EU Commission Inspection Mission to Ireland in March 1998, in so far as it related to the plant to which the Deputy refers, found certain hygiene related deficiencies concerning the loading bay, handling of seized/detained carcasses and the staining of specified risk material.
In addition, the mission reported serious deficiencies which could allow for the possibility of fraudulent actions inside or outside the slaughterhouse. These included unsatisfactory health marking procedures, trimming procedures leading to the cut-off of health marks, the separation between seized carcasses and EU eligible carcasses, and traceability weaknesses in respect of the age of the bovines slaughtered. It was made clear by the EU Commission, at a later meeting in Brussels, that the inspection mission had not found any evidence of actual or attempted fraud.
Arising out of the findings of the mission and its own ongoing review of in-plant veterinary control procedures, my Department took a number of steps including: revised arrangements in relation to marshalling halls and loading bays in all slaughter plants, including the plant to which the Deputy refers; revised procedures for the detention of carcasses in all slaughter plants; tightened procedures for the identification, handling, segregation, staining and removal of specified risk material in all slaughter and cutting plants; and revision of the procedures at local plant level in respect of the evaluation of cattle age for the purpose of facilitating commercial trade.
