Vol. 540 No. 3
104 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if his attention has been drawn to deliveries of stock to an abattoir (details supplied) where an incident took place and where there was no veterinary supervision; if he will investigate the incident; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20689/01]
It is not necessary that a Department veterinarian be present when animals are delivered to a lairage. On the day in question, a Department technical officer was present at the time of delivery of the pigs and the submission of the accompanying permit.
Inquiries carried out within my Department indicate that none of the pigs died during the period in lairage and the entire consignment was subjected to veterinary ante-mortem inspection on the morning of Monday, 2 July, when no adverse findings were noted. The water supply was functional when checked on Monday, 2 July, and there is no reason to believe that it was otherwise in the course of Sunday.
