Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 678: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the action she intends to take to address the shortcomings and drop in U grades identified with the mechanical graders; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2078/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Automated beef carcase classification machines were approved for use in Ireland on the basis of a certification test conducted in 2003 in accordance with the provisions of EU Regulation 1215/2003 that set out the technical standards required of the machines before they could be approved.

The machines were calibrated in the EU supervised trial on the basis of classification carried out on a sample of cattle representative of the national kill, a condition of the aforementioned EU regulation. The data on which the machines were calibrated were derived from the average of the classification results of the five top experts in the EU assembled for this purpose.

It is important to emphasise that machine classification is the preferred option of farmers because it removes any element of subjectivity associated with human classification. Machines were commissioned on a phased basis commencing last October and are currently in use in 22 of the 26 export approved meat plants. Consequently, in the last quarter of 2004, 40% of carcases were classified using the automated classification system while 60% of carcases were classified manually.

Based on the limited data available to date I am informed that the machines are working satisfactorily. While selective use was made in recent press reports of deficiencies in returns in certain classification categories, improved returns in other categories were ignored. In relation to U grades in particular, comparison of returns using machines are broadly similar to the quarterly figures for past two years. My officials are continuing to monitor and inspect the output of machine classification and liaise regularly with the machine manufacturer in regard to the prediction model in use.