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

I do not see much point in responding to the opening point the Deputy made regarding Covid-19 in meat plants, as I am on the record of the House on that issue already. Suffice to say, as I said then, that every individual who contracts Covid-19 needs to be treated in the best possible way by the health services and everything needs to be done to try and prevent the spread of the virus. The Deputy will be aware that the last time we were in here discussing this issue there was some clamour due to the fact that the HSA had not been in the meat plants. At that time, these agencies were just coming back to work as, like most others, they had not been at work. I am pleased the HSA has been in many if not all of the plants where the clusters have occurred, and my information is that it has found that most of the meat plants are working as they should in terms of the new norm and taking the appropriate steps to protect workers in the plants. That is not to say that notwithstanding the best endeavours of everybody - the HSA, the HSE, the workers in the plants and management in the plants – one can guarantee that the plants will be kept Covid-19 free. That is obviously not the case, but it is important that every one of these agencies works to ensure that we do everything possible to minimise the risk and that is what has been happening. It would not have been appropriate to come in here on that occasion and say that we were going to blitz these premises, because to be forewarned is to be forearmed, but that has happened and the Deputy will be aware it happened.

Given that time is limited, I wish to point out to the Deputy that biogenic methane is different from methane generally.

It is a specific cohort within the atmosphere and has a shorter life span, and that is why there is an issue between livestock methane production and general methane production.

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