Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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138. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he was consulted on the decision to cease testing in meat factories and food processing plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24109/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is contributing to the whole-of-Government response to managing outbreaks of Covid -19 in food plants.  In the context of Covid-19, human health must be the absolute priority for all of us, and therefore it is vitally important that all our decisions and actions led by public health advice.  

 The Government decided in August that the HSE should implement a programme of serial testing of workers in food plants and other large businesses.  To date,  serial testing had taken place of just over 15,000 workers in meat plants, with 42 detected cases - a positivity rate of 0.28%.   

As the Deputy will be aware, the HSE made an operational decision to re-schedule further serial testing in meat plants from the end of last week into this week. Starting from yesterday, 14th September, the HSE is carrying out a 4 week schedule of serial testing in meat plants. This will involve between 3,000 and 5,000 tests each week.  My Department will provide any assistance requested by the HSE to facilitate this testing programme.  My view is that this testing programme is essential in order to give the assurance that the public needs and expects.

There is no room for complacency with regard to the threat posed by Covid-19, and my Department is continually engaged with industry  to ensure that the basic measures are implemented correctly – for example, ensuring that workers are reminded on a daily basis of public health guidance, in a range of languages, screening questions and temperature check on entry every day, social distancing in canteens and locker rooms, adequate PPE for all workers, etc.