Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Approximately ten months ago, I first raised the issue of meat plants and Covid outbreaks with one of the Minister's predecessors, whose response was an angry defence of the industry and the meat plants. That was a foolish response and, at worst, negligence because as we all now know meat plants are epicentres of Covid infection, often leaving vulnerable migrant workers at risk and the communities wherein they are located at risk. I continue to find bizarre the responses from every arm of the State in relation to this industry. It is being treated with kid gloves and light touch regulation. Where serious outbreaks of Covid-19 are concerned, this remains very difficult to fathom.

Deputy Gino Kenny recently asked the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and other Departments a number of questions regarding an outbreak at a meat plant in Clondalkin, to which he received only a very cursory reply from the Health and Safety Authority, HSA. I recently put a question to the Minister's Department regarding an outbreak at an ABP plant in Cork and was told that the Minister had been assured by the meat industry representatives that where such workers are engaged the plant is compliant with regulatory requirements. If we have not at this stage learned the lesson that we cannot trust at face value the responses of the meat industry, will we ever learn it? Approximately one week ago, the HSPC produced updated guidelines for the meat industry. I have read the guidelines. They are very useful and there is a lot of good guidance in them. How do we know the meat plants will enforce them? Can the Minister tell me if there have been unannounced inspections of meat plants in the week since 10 February when those guidelines were published?

In August last, the Minister for Health said there had to be changes and reforms around the practices in meat plants. How do we know they happened? How would the Minister know that? The industry representatives will not tell him truth. We know from the Migrant Rights Council of Ireland, SIPTU and others that the situation for workers remains very poor and without a sick pay scheme they remain fairly unprotected as they cannot take measures when they are sick that would protect them and the communities where they live. At this stage, we need to do something about the fact that the industry is tooth and nail opposed to a sick pay scheme for these workers. I appeal to the Minister to support such a measure. Solidarity-People Before Profit will bring forth a Bill soon to try to get that measure moved forward.

The Minister must behave differently to his predecessor whom I mentioned. We cannot have Ministers being a shrill for the meat industry when abuses of workers and farmers are taking place on a large-scale basis, for which there is much evidence. We need to make sure that regulations are enforced and that the Minister stands up for them. I again appeal to the Minister to ensure that there are unannounced inspections at meat plants and that all of the regulations are tightly enforced, which needs to be proven to us. The Minister should not take the meat industry at face value when it tells him something when it turns out not to be true.

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