Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 309: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress that has been made in his discussions with the veterinary union on post mortem examinations and slaughter houses throughout the country; his views that the presence of veterinary surgeons in such establishments during the processing of animals adds value to quality assurance in respect of meat products; if the strict supervisory regime currently in place adds value to Irish meats in the export market; his views that any diminution of the role of veterinary surgeons in the process would be contrary to the best interests of the meat industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38395/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Slaughterhouses and meat processing plants operate under the supervision of my Department, in accordance with the terms of EU Food Hygiene Regulations. These plants are supervised by veterinary inspectors employed by the Department, assisted in their duties by technical staff (agricultural officers) and by temporary veterinary inspectors (TVIs) contracted from private practice on a rota basis.

The cost of the meat inspection service has been reduced in recent years. The cost in 2009 was €38m and the corresponding figure in 2010 was €32m. Part of the cost of the service is recovered from industry through charges for official controls, levied under the terms of Regulation (EC) 882 of 2004. The amount recovered in 2009 was €13.9m (37% of the total cost); and the amount in 2010 was €15.5m (49% of total cost).

Most of the decrease in the cost of the meat inspection service relates to reduced payroll costs for veterinary and technical staff employed directly by my Department. There was a small reduction in fees paid to TVIs, which represent the biggest single element of cost of the service, from €18.8m in 2009 to €18.3m in 2010.

A number of further cost reduction measures have also been introduced recently, including the transfer of the carcase stamping function to food business operators (FBOs) and the phased transfer of responsibility for TSE sampling to FBOs. Veterinary Ireland were informed of these changes some months ago. The sampling change involves the transfer of some work from TVIs which does not require veterinary expertise and can be carried out by the FBO under the direction of the Department veterinary inspector in charge in each plant. It should be noted that the extent of this change is relatively modest, with an estimated value of €0.3m, just 1.6% of the amount spent on TVIs last year.

It is my intention, in line with the recommendations in Food Harvest 2020, that the service will be further streamlined over time to provide a more cost effective service consistent with regulatory requirement and consumer safety and confidence.

Recommendations arising from a Value for Money (VFM) review relating to the use of the services of TVIs in slaughter plants under the supervision of my Department, along with recommendations arising from other reviews relating to the optimum deployment of the Department's staff, are being taken into account in revised arrangements for controlling meat plants. In this context it is intended that the use of auxiliaries as recommended by the VFM review will be introduced in certain areas, initially on a pilot basis. Supplementary training will be required to allow technical staff to carry out post-mortem meat inspection, except in relation to poultry meat (as the Department has already assigned some post mortem inspection duties to technical staff working in poultry processing establishments). The pilot programme will be subject to evaluation and review.

Next year will be challenging for all sectors and for all our citizens as we grapple with the imperative of restoring order to our public finances and lay the foundations for future growth in the economy. There are no easy decisions in this process nor are there easy solutions. In my own Department there are very severe budgetary challenges and it is no secret that the financial resources that will be made available under the National Recovery Plan will be further lessened in 2012 and beyond. This will result in less monies being available for the entire sector, including those who provide contracted services to the Department.

These budgetary constraints place a further demand on all of us to do more with less. We have tackled this problem head-on in the Department, where radical reforms have been implemented in the way in which we run our business, including closure of many local offices and very significant staff reductions.

I value the considerable role played by private veterinary practitioners in the meat inspection service, to which we have devoted a very significant budget each year. I believe that the role played by the profession has been important in the high standing Ireland has in food production and in trade. I do not envisage a period ahead when veterinary practitioners will not have a significant continuing role in the meat inspection service but that is not to say that the role can remain exactly as it has always done in the past. We all have a part to play in the recovery process and we must all be seen to play our part.

In carving out the future role of private veterinary practitioners in the service, my Department is more than willing to continue to engage with representatives of veterinary interests but it is important to understand that the circumstances that pertained in years past have changed radically and that no area of service provision can be immune from review and change.