Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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149. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied with his Department's inspection system in meat factories; if the grading of cattle in the quality assurance scheme is independently validated; if the calibration of grading equipment is regularly inspected to ensure farmers are receiving the correct grades; if his Department has sufficient inspectors overseeing same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47476/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Officials of my Department carry out inspections at 32 beef slaughtering plants to ensure that Carcase Classification is carried out in accordance with EU Regulations. To date in 2018, over 42,000 carcasses were inspected during approximately 500 inspections. The number of inspections and carcasses inspected significantly exceeds the legal requirement for the minimum number of inspections set down in EU legislation.

During these un-announced inspections the following duties are also performed by the authorised officer:

- Evaluation of standard of dressing (trim) during the production process in real time when possible and on cold carcasses

- Examination of records concerning use of check weights

- Comparison of hot and cold weights

- Scrutiny of labelling particulars

The classification of all carcasses is monitored and independently validated by officers of my Department, regardless of whether the farms concerned are participating in the Bord Bia Quality Assurance Scheme or not.

Any calibration is conducted by the mechanical classification system provider but performance of machine grading is monitored at each inspection to ensure the machines operate within tolerance at all times.

A robust system is therefore in place for monitoring and oversight of carcase classification.