Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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885. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if she will provide details of the correspondence between Meat Industry Ireland and his Department about clusters of Covid-19 in plants and potential closures of plants between 1 March and 16 September 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25197/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Myself, my predecessors and my officials have had regular meetings with Meat Industry Ireland, and indeed with the other food industry representatives, in the course of the pandemic. At all meetings, it was emphasised that Industry’s priority must be the safeguarding of human health and following HSE guidelines at all levels of operation. The first of these meetings was on 11 March and they have continued on a regular basis since then.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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886. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there is a requirement to have a deep clean carried out in a meat processing facility in which staff members have had a positive Covid-19 test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25223/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is contributing to the whole-of-Government response to managing outbreaks of Covid -19 in food plants. In the context of Covid-19, human health must be the absolute priority for all of us, and therefore it is vitally important that all our decisions and actions led by public health advice.

My Department’s statutory responsibility in relation to meat processing establishments is to ensure that these premises operate in compliance with the EU’s food hygiene legislation, animal health and animal welfare standards. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, my Department is participating in the HSE-chaired National Standing Committee on high risk settings, which meets on an ongoing basis to review existing protocols and compliance measures, and to identify any additional control measures required. My Department is also supporting the HSE and the Health and Safety Authority in monitoring the effective implementation of all relevant Covid-19 guidance in DAFM-approved food plants.

There is no room for complacency with regard to the threat posed by Covid-19, and my Department is continually engaged with industry to ensure that the basic measures are implemented correctly – for example, ensuring that workers are reminded on a daily basis of public health guidance, in a range of languages, screening questions and temperature check on entry every day, social distancing in canteens and locker rooms, adequate PPE for all workers, etc.

Food plants already operate to very high standards as regards cleaning and disinfection for food hygiene purposes. The HSE guidelines for meat plants do not include a specific requirement to sanitise a plant in the context of COVID-19 positive cases. However, Food Plants like other businesses must comply with the HSE Guidance for Business and Retail Sectors which include provisions for cleaning premises where there are suspected or confirmed cases of Covid19. The Local Outbreak Team may also apply further directions.