Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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168. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding meat processing factories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36886/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The amount paid for cattle at slaughter is a matter between the supplier and the processor. The number of farm residencies that an animal presented for slaughter has had in its lifetime is an integral element of the Quality Payments System that operates in Irish beef processing plants. The conditions for the in-spec Quality Assurance bonus, under the QPS, are a matter for industry and were agreed between Meat Industry Ireland and the IFA in December 2009. My Department did not engage in the design of the QPS as it is a commercial matter between farmers and processors.