Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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197. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 535, 536 and 537 of 12 February 2019, the corresponding inspection figures for 2017; the number of machines operating outside of tolerance not identified by inspections that required the calibration to be checked by staff from his Department before mechanical grading recommenced in 2017 and 2018, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8728/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1184 of 20 April 2017 governs the monitoring of carcase classification, carcase presentation and weighing.

Inspections carried out by my Department identify when the grading machines are operating outside of tolerance. In 2017, my Department conducted almost 630 unannounced, on-the-spot inspections in 32 factories on classification and carcase presentation.

In all cases where a machine is found to be working outside of tolerance, manual grading is instigated immediately. There were 8 instances in 2018 and 13 in 2017 when factories were instructed to revert to manual classification.In all instances, classification officers from my Department conduct a classification check before a factory is instructed to recommence mechanical grading.