Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 432: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if her attention has been drawn to the destination of animal intestines sent from a plant (details supplied) in County Tipperary. [32442/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The legislative basis for the control and disposal of animal by-products not intended for human consumption is Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002, the Animal By-Products Regulation. Offal, belly grass and slurry are regarded as animal by-products under this Regulation. Raw animal by-products (offal) from meat factories must be processed in accordance with the Animal By-Products Regulation in establishments which are approved for that purpose.

Information regarding the destination of animal by-products from a specific plant cannot be disclosed as it is commercially sensitive. However I can advise the Deputy that typically the bulk of this material is sent to rendering plants, accompanied by commercial documentation which provides the necessary traceability, with portion of some organs such as livers and lungs used in the manufacture of petfood. Digestive tract content (belly grass) and manure (slurry) may be spread on land in accordance with Regulation (EC) 1774/2002 if the competent authority does not consider them to present a risk of spreading any serious transmissible disease.