Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Carthy. There are a number of questions in that one question. I will certainly do my best to address them.

My Department is contributing to the whole-of-Government response to managing outbreaks of Covid-19 in food plants. In the context of Covid-19, human health must be the absolute priority for all of us, and therefore it is vitally important that all our decisions and actions are led by public health advice. My Department is participating in the HSE-chaired national standing committee on high risk settings, which meets on an ongoing basis to review existing protocols and compliance measures, and to identify any additional control measures that may be required.

My Department is also supporting the HSE and the Health and Safety Authority in monitoring the effective implementation of all relevant Covid-19 guidance in Department-approved food plants. International evidence has shown that meat plants in particular are at risk of outbreaks. My Department is leading research on the operational and environmental factors in meat plants which may influence Covid transmission, for example, by looking at ventilation systems and the recirculation of chilled air in plants, to identify and address those risk factors.

There has been a lot of commentary about wider factors regarding employees in the food industry, for example, shared accommodation and transport, and the sick pay and other employment conditions for workers. There have been discussions between the meat industry and unions on some of these issues, and that is positive. My Department is leading engagement with the ESRI to scope out a research project looking at these wider issues. If the Deputy has concerns with regard to individual workers, he should report these directly to the relevant statutory agencies such as the Health and Safety Authority, the Workplace Relations Commission, or the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, as appropriate.

Specifically on beef sectoral issues, the beef task force that was established in September 2019 provides a forum for detailed engagement on key issues facing the beef sector, and is particularly important in progressing the commitments made by all stakeholders in the beef sector agreement last September. It is independently chaired and includes representatives from all stakeholders.

I am aware that I am out of time in my response but I will certainly follow up with the Deputy.

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