(Wexford): A company in County Wexford, Macmine Castle Pork, was recently informed by the senior superintending veterinary inspector from the Department of Agriculture and Food that its premises now conformed with the necessary conditions of EU Directive 91/497 for an export approved licence. The same letter informed the company that, because of a scarcity of veterinary staff in the Department, the licence could not be issued. This has caused major difficulties for the company.
It is strange that the Department, on the one hand, issues grant aid directly and through FEOGA, to enable Macmine Castle Pork to bring its premises up to the standard required for the issuing of an EU licence and, at the same time, informs the applicant that it cannot go ahead because of a lack of veterinary staff.
This company has been built up by the owner, his wife and family over a number of years. It now has a staff of thirty in a rural area near Enniscorthy. I am baffled by the information that the Department is unable to provide veterinary services. In other areas of the south east, retired veterinary staff have been employed on a temporary basis to provide services in meat processing plants.
I ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food, through the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dea, to examine this. The company is losing export orders and may have to let staff go because of the lack of a veterinary inspection. The statutory levy of £1.05 per pig to cover the cost of inspections should be adequate to cover the Department's expenses. The Minister must consider this issue.
There appears to be an ongoing dispute between the Departments of Finance and Agriculture and Food regarding the allocation of adequate staff to the Department of Agriculture and Food. Macmine Castle Pork should not be a pawn in this game. The owner of the company has spent more than £1 million in bringing the plant up to the required standard. He has been informed by letter that he has conformed to the conditions of the EU directive but because a vet is not available to carry out the inspection, he cannot be issued with an export licence.
The Minister of State should discuss this matter with the Minister, Deputy Walsh to ensure that adequate, permanent or temporary veterinary inspectors will be made available to enable this company to proceed with its current orders and to seek new orders. The owner was in Wales today and won several new orders but until he is granted a licence he cannot deliver to his customers in Wales. This situation could lead to a loss of jobs and serious consequences for the company.