Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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77. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will commission a social, economic and environmental impact assessment of factory-controlled feedlots. [11778/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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It is important to clarify that there is no legal definition of a feedlot herd. The Department defines certain herds as Controlled Finishing Units (CFUs) in the context of the Bovine TB Eradication Programme.

This definition is unique to that programme and does not necessarily mirror the use of the term "feedlot" by the public and/or other institutions. CFUs are subject to enhanced biosecurity measures as part of the TB Programme and can only sell direct to slaughter.

The Department's statutory responsibility in the context of meat plants is to approve slaughter plants in accordance with the European Union (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations 2020 and to ensure that the DAFM-approved plants operate in compliance with the EU's food hygiene legislation, animal health and animal welfare standards.

The Department’s remit in relation to controlled finishing units is to ensure that they operate in compliance with the EU's animal health and animal welfare standards.

I have acknowledged the importance of transparency in the market for primary producers and my Department is progressing several initiatives to increase transparency. Central to my commitment to transparency is the introduction of the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022, which is currently going through the legislative process.

This Bill provides for the establishment of a new, independent statutory office, An Rialálaí Agraibhia,which will promote fairness and transparency in the agri-food supply chain by enforcing unfair trading legislation and by carrying out an independent price and market analysis reporting function.

As the Deputy will be aware, my Department and Bord Bia already publish a wide range of price and comparative market data on a weekly basis.