Metrology Service

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 February 2012

Tuesday, 28 February 2012

Ceisteanna (526)

Timmy Dooley

Ceist:

578 Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the arrangements and procedures in place for verifying the accuracy of the weighing equipment used in meat plants for weighing carcasses of cattle, sheep and pigs for the purpose of purchasing these animals from farmers; if he will provide the details on the number of checks undertaken across all of the factories for each species of animal over the period 2007 to 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10706/12]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Simon Coveney)

The Legal Metrology Service of the National Standards Authority of Ireland, established under the Metrology Act of 1996, has statutory responsibility for the verification of weighing equipment in abattoirs. However, officials of my Department carry out checks of weighing equipment in beef abattoirs during routine control inspections concerning beef carcase classification. These checks include the use of check weights on the kill floor scales and the re-weighing of cold carcases. From 2007 to 2011, these checks were carried out approximately 2,655 times in abattoirs.