Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. I understand these are very valuable animals and in some cases the money to buy them was borrowed, so the investment is gone.

The integrity of our beef industry is of the utmost importance to the economy and to Ireland's worldwide reputation as a food-producing country. I assure the Deputy that every step is taken to safeguard this industry, and this is achieved by ensuring the highest standards are applied and maintained in the production of Irish food.

I am aware of the incidence of stolen livestock in the country. Theft is primarily a matter for An Garda Síochána and any incidents involving theft of livestock should be reported to the Garda Síochána in the first place. The number of cattle reported stolen since 1 January 2012 is 555, out of a total population of 6.9 million animals. The Garda frequently requests the assistance of staff from the Department who have expertise in the areas of animal tagging and registration, animal movement, animal health and animal welfare, and who have access to the animal identification and movement database. There is ongoing contact between departmental staff and An Garda Síochána in this regard.

There is also close liaison with the relevant authorities in Northern Ireland aimed at addressing the issue of stolen livestock. A cross-Border liaison group comprising the Garda, the Department's investigations division, the PSNI and the Northern Irish Department of Agriculture and Rural Development investigate the theft of livestock on a Border-county basis. I draw the Deputy's attention to the fact that a recent operation involving the Department's investigation division and the Garda resulted in the discovery of an illegal abattoir near the Border and the subsequent questioning of two persons. This matter is under investigation at present.

Under EU law, primary responsibility for the traceability and safety of food placed on the market lies with food business operators, FBOs. The role of the Department is to verify the compliance of FBOs with this requirement. Significant resources are devoted to this task. This is done by a combination of comprehensive animal identification systems, inspection of establishments and auditing the food safety management systems which operators are required to have in place. These controls are applied at various stages in the food supply chain.

When animals are presented for slaughter at meat plants, an ante mortem examination is carried out prior to slaughter, and following the slaughter, a post mortem examination is carried out to determine the suitability of the meat for entry into the food chain. This level of examination meets the hygiene package standard as laid down by the EU and ensures the integrity of the food chain.

The Department has a permanent veterinary presence at all its approved slaughter plants. Controls at stand-alone secondary processing plants are carried out at a frequency based on risk assessment for each plant. Smaller abattoirs are supervised by local authorities.

Checks are also conducted at retail level by the HSE, working under the aegis of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland which has an overarching supervisory role in this area.

The presence of extensive checks by the Department and other competent authorities, of course, does not absolve the FBO of prime responsibility for compliance with the rules. Responsibility for compliance with traceability requirements rests in the first instance with FBOs. FBOs in Ireland are responsible for carrying out checks to ensure that their ingredients come from EU approved plants. They must also have a system in place to identify the source of inputs and destination of outputs - referred to as one step forward and one step back.

When members of the public provide information to the authorities about any suspicious or illegal activity concerning the movement of cattle, it is treated in confidence and it greatly assists in the investigations that follow. I therefore ask members of the public to continue their support in that regard. Farmers who have heavily invested in rearing animals and bringing them to the point of slaughter are the real victims of this crime. I am aware of the devastating impact that the theft of animals has on the individual farmers.

Tackling the crime of cattle rustling can only be done with the combined efforts of gardaí, staff from my Department and the general public. I assure the Deputy and the House that my Department will provide whatever assistance is required towards combating these crimes.

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