Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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428. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there is a full complement of veterinary inspectors and superiors on the floor of a specific factory during operation hours (details supplied). [14793/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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All slaughter plants whose meat is destined for human consumption must meet the requirements set out in detailed EU regulations relating to food safety and animal health and welfare.

Large scale slaughter plants operate under the supervision of my Department, while smaller scale abattoirs are supervised by the Local Authority Veterinary Service.

The slaughter process and the handling of animals going to slaughter take place under strictly supervised conditions. My Department has a permanent presence in each of the slaughter plants under its supervision and Department staff, with the assistance of temporary veterinary inspectors engaged on a contract basis, carry out regular checks as part of official regulatory controls. Allocation of resources is related to activity levels and I am satisfied that the necessary resources have been allocated to the plant in question.