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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 6 Nov 2001

Vol. 543 No. 2

Written Answers. - Cattle Grading.

Johnny Brady

Ceist:

258 Mr. J. Brady asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the position regarding the evaluation trials for mechanical grading of beef carcasses; if he will expedite the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26309/01]

Paul Connaughton

Ceist:

266 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the progress made on the mechanical grading of cattle; if the progress made would suggest that mechanical grading will be introduced at all factories in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26453/01]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 258 and 266 together.

Mechanical grading trials were carried out in Ireland in August 1999 and March 2000 and the results were communicated to the European Commission in March 2000. Similar trials were also carried out in Germany, Denmark and France. These trials were the subject of discussion at beef management committee meetings in March and April 2000.

The consensus of opinion was that the trials in Ireland had been carried out in a highly professional manner. While the three machines involved achieved high accuracy results in relation to conformation and meat content of the carcasses, they were less accurate in relation to fatness and, in general, they failed to attain the standards set down by the European Commission in a draft regulation setting standards to be met by these machines prior to their approval for classification purposes. Following discussion in the beef management committee, the Commission agreed to carry out a pilot test to examine whether the standards and procedures set out in the draft regulation were practicable.

Germany was selected as the venue for the pilot test and a trial was carried out in September this year in which my Department was involved. The results of this trial are unlikely to become available until early next year. It is hoped that the European Commission then will set down standards for the approval of automated classification systems. It will be necessary to have an authorisation trial carried out on any proposed system in Ireland to ensure that it meets the approved standard. While continued progress is being made in regard to mechanical classification, it is likely that it will take some time yet for the introduction of a system which meets strict European Commission standards. I fully support the introduction of a mechanical classification system and I will do what I can to progress the matter.

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