Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. One fine for one carcass excessively trimmed is one too many. It is important to remain focused on our objective, that is, to ensure we have full compliance by the factories with the regulations. In terms of the inspections carried out to date in 2018, 0.05% of 44,000 carcasses were found to have non-compliance. Every non-compliance is one too many and, to enhance the level of further inspections, in quarter 1 of 2019, we are rolling out additional sets of eyes, as it were, on the kill line to ensure that the specifications are complied with.

The ultimate accountability in this will be to ensure that individual farmers are made aware that the carcass of their animal was excessively trimmed. They will be notified by the Department in that context. They will be remunerated for any excess trim in the docket.

See this speech in context