Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 378: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the situation with regard to the rendering and disposal of meat and bonemeal produced in the State; the amount of this material currently in storage; the locations at which this material is stored; if there is any cost to the State for the disposal of this material; her preferred strategy for the disposal of this material; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8702/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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At the end of January 2005 there were approximately 171,000 tonnes of meat and bonemeal, MBM, in storage in 32 stores in different locations throughout the country. My Department has responsibility for the disposal of 90,000 tonnes of MBM. These are stocks produced during the period January 2001 to June 2003 when my Department subsidised the disposal of MBM. It is estimated that the cost to the Exchequer of disposing those stocks will be €12.5 million. The responsibility for the disposal of the balance of stocks, including the costs which were produced after June 2003, is borne by the industry.

In early 2004 my Department published the report of the interdepartmental committee on disposal options for MBM. This report outlined the disposal options that the committee considered acceptable in Ireland, including co-incineration in the production of energy and cement manufacture.

There are no domestic disposal facilities in Ireland. All of the MBM produced in Ireland is either put into storage pending incineration abroad or sent directly abroad for incineration. However, the Deputy will be aware that I have recently announced that I will be amending national legislation to facilitate the use of certain categories of MBM in pet feed and of certain animal by-products in composting, bio-gas plants and fertilisers. These products must be derived from animals deemed fit for human consumption and usage will be subject to various safeguards and conditions being in place.