Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 454: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food her plans to review the mechanical grading system; her views on the calibration of the equipment; the number of such inspections to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21136/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Commission Regulation 1215/2003 sets down the EU requirements with regard to mechanical classification. In addition, national legislation was adopted in Ireland in 2004 which further details the requirements for its operation, including the type and level of penalty for any infringements.

In Ireland, two levels of inspection concerning the operation of the mechanical classification system are carried out by my Department at the slaughter plants. A classification supervisor visits each slaughter plant to ensure that all of the requirements regarding classification are in order. In the early stages of mechanical classification the frequency of these visits was set at once per week. The frequency is currently maintained at twice per month. From January to May of this year, a total of over 400 inspections, at this level, were carried out.

In compliance with EU regulatory requirements, a more detailed inspection is carried out by a national standards panel. For these inspections, a very detailed assessment of the operation of the machines is carried out, including an analysis of the accuracy of classification, using the system of points and tolerances as utilized in the original authorisation test. Since the installation of the machines, in November 2004, almost 200 inspections of this nature have been carried out and over 14,000 individual carcasses have been checked.

These inspections have shown that the mechanical classification system is operating well within the requirements of the EU regulation and that the calibration of the equipment is satisfactory.

My officials will continue to monitor and regularly inspect the output of mechanical classification and take whatever action is appropriate to ensure that it continues to operate satisfactorily.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 455: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she has provided for an appeal system for farmers and producers who kill cattle in meat factories graded by machines operated by personnel employed by factory owners; the person who is in charge of the appeal system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21147/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Automated beef carcass 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.

Prior to its official use in any member state, a classification machine, which effectively carries out various measurements of the carcass and determines its classification on that basis, has to undergo a formal test, using an international jury of classification experts and reach a certain level of accuracy. All three machine types tested in Ireland in 2003 comfortably exceeded this level.

While the machines are operated by slaughter plant personnel, this primarily involves running the daily checks developed by the supplier and maintaining the cleanliness of the machines. All other aspects including any programming and calibration is carried out by the supplier, under the supervision of the beef carcass classification inspectorate of my Department.

As the automated mechanical classification system is totally objective in nature, an appeal system is not provided.