Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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167. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the factories which have been found by departmental inspectors to be in breach of regulations in the grading and trimming of beef and sheep carcasses to date in 2019; the offences discovered in each factory; the penalties or warnings issued to the offending factory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43696/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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To date in 2019, there have been 499 unannounced inspections conducted in 32 beef factories. During these inspections, classification officers monitor carcase classification, weights and trim. To date, one  factory has been fined for excess carcase trimming of three carcasses. It is intended to publish the names of all factories that have been fined in 2019 on the Department website in due course.  

While the classification of beef is compulsory under EU legislation, sheep classification is not mandatory by EU legislation and is implemented as an industry initiative.