Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of lambs and sheep from Northern Ireland and Britain respectively that have been slaughtered in factories in this jurisdiction in each month since March 2011; the systems in place to record such slaughtering to ensure traceability of all sheep and lambs slaughtered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14734/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Details regarding number of sheep from Northern Ireland slaughtered in plants approved by my Department since March 2011 are given in the Table below. These figures are based on weekly returns made by sheep slaughtering plants. Plants are not asked to provide returns in respect of the number of sheep slaughtered that originated in Britain or elsewhere as the numbers involved are negligible.

I wish to reassure the Deputy that all sheep entering a slaughter plant (regardless of origin) are accompanied with a Food Chain Information (FCI) document which, among other details, indicates their origin, who supplied them, number of sheep in the consignment and the sheep individual ear tag identification numbers. Traceability systems in sheep slaughter houses ensure that all carcases of sheep slaughtered can be traced back to this FCI document by attaching a label which has a carcase number or the sheep identification number attached.

Sheep from Northern ireland Slaughtered at DEPARTMENT Approved Premises by month from Mar 2011 to Feb 2013

2011

2012

2013