Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 20 Mar 2002

Vol. 550 No. 4

Written Answers. - Beef Quality Assurance Scheme.

Seymour Crawford

Ceist:

259 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason the beef classification officers in his Department refuse to take account of the calf registration information on the Department database in determining whether or not certain animals should be categorised as cows or heifers under the beef carcasses classification scheme operated at meat factories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9242/02]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh)

Classification of beef carcases is carried out by officials of my Department in accordance with a standard EU system, using criteria laid down in the Council and Commission regulations. Under these regulations, classification is based on a visual examination of the dressed carcase and is primarily a subjective examination of the carcase characteristics.

Classification officers have not been able to rely on the cattle movement monitoring system as a definitive basis for differentiating between cows and heifers because, until 1 January 2002, that system only provided a record of calving where the calf was born alive and survived to registration time. As the incidence of peri-natal mortality for calves born from first calving bovines can be substantial, many once-calved cows now being slaughtered would continue to be identified as heifers within the CMMS system. However, since all calf births are now being recorded, the CMMS can in the future be used as a database to assist in classifying animals slaughtered. However, it cannot be used as the definitive basis for differentiating between cows and heifers until the EU regulations governing carcase classification are amended.

Where a producer is not satisfied with the decision of the classification officer and an appeal is lodged while the carcase is still intact on the premises, a re-assessment of the carcase is carried out.