Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 May 2022
197. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of unannounced Health and Safety Authority inspections in approved meat processing plants in each of the past five years to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25612/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraPrior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) recorded inspections according to the NACE sector in which they took place. The relevant NACE sub sectors in this case are those relating to the “processing and preserving of meat and production of meat products”. The number of inspections for 2017 – May 2020 are as follows:
|
- |
Processing and preserving of meat and production of meat products |
|
2017 |
23 |
|
2018 |
26 |
|
2019 |
14 |
|
01 Jan 2020 – 19 May 2020 |
3 |
Following the introduction of the Return to Work Safely Protocol in May 2020 and subsequent updates to that Protocol throughout 2020 and 2021, the number of inspections that were undertaken by the HSA in approved Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) Meat Processing Plants (MPP) are set out below;
|
- |
Approved DAFM MPP Inspections |
Announced Inspections |
Unannounced Inspections |
|
20 May 2020 - 31 Dec 2020 |
187 |
31 |
156 |
|
01 Jan 2021 - 31st Dec 2021 |
262 |
3 |
259 |
|
01 Jan 2022 – 17 May 2022 |
59 |
0 |
59 |
Health and Safety Authority inspections are predominantly made without prior notification. However, in some exceptional circumstances prior notification may be appropriate, for example, in support of Public Health management of an COVID-19 outbreak, advanced notification may be required for operational reasons.
