Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As a follow-up, we have received a submission from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on this matter. It states "The Department’s responsibility at slaughterhouses and processing plants is primarily to ensure that such establishments operate in compliance with food hygiene legislation and focus on ... ante and post-mortem inspection service ... sampling for BSE ...". Based on what the Department has indicated, it appears consumers rely on the Department's inspection and while its inspectors are hugely important for consumer protection, they are far less so from the point of view of workplace safety and workers' protection.