Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 February 2014
221. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if for QPS purposes in the paying of a bonus for cattle slaughtered, the number of movements is determined by the number of owners an animal had or the number of movements recorded on the AIMS database or by some other system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10091/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe conditions for the in-spec Quality Assurance bonus, under the Quality-based Payment System, are a matter for industry and were agreed between Meat Industry Ireland and the IFA in December 2009. The conditions are:
- Quality assured cattle, slaughtered under 30 months of age, receive a bonus,
- Animals must satisfy a 70-day residency period on the final farm and must not have more than 3 farm movements in their lifetime (4 farm residencies).
This information is verified from the Department of Agriculture's AIM database at the point of entering the animals’ identities into the processors' software systems (i.e. in the factory lairage). Access to such information is limited to the movement listing of the animals presented to the factories for slaughter.
