Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate Deputy Carthy on his appointment as the Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture, food and the marine and wish him well in that role. I look forward to working with the Deputy. It is good to be able to be here to take questions.

In the context of the Deputy's question on the Department's role in meat plants during the Covid-19 period, the Government categorised farming and food production as essential services under the Covid-19 regulations. As the Deputy will be aware, Irish meat plants and other food plants have continued to operate to ensure continuity and security of food to consumers at home and abroad during this time.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's statutory responsibility in the context of meat plants is to ensure that the Department approved plants operate in compliance with the EU's food hygiene legislation, animal health and animal welfare standards.

Within my Department, approximately 250 veterinary and technical staff are routinely involved in supervising, regulating and controlling the food safety, animal health and animal welfare standards at 49 slaughter plants and a large number of meat processing plants throughout the country. Department staff resources are supplemented by a group of approximately 700 temporary veterinary inspectors, who are private veterinary practitioners contracted by the Department to deliver ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection of animals and poultry in meat plants.

This work carried out by my staff in meat plants in relation to food hygiene, animal health and animal welfare has continued during the Covid-19 period.

In addition to this work, the Department staff in meat plants have assisted and supported the HSE and the food business operators at local level as required in relation to dealing with any outbreaks that have occurred in meat plants and in assisting with the logistics of organising and implementing Covid-19 testing in meat plants which is ongoing at present.

The Department staff have also supported and assisted the Health and Safety Authority, HSA, by carrying out Covid-19-related inspections in food plants in accordance with a memorandum of understanding signed between the Department and the HSA. All Department approved meat plants have had at least one such inspection, and inspections are ongoing. To date, the findings and feedback from my staff in respect of these inspections have, in general, indicated good compliance levels.

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