State "seeking ways" to dispose of meat products

GOVERNMENT Departments are working with other agencies to see how best to dispose of meat and bone meal, the Minister for Agriculture and Food said.

Mr Yates said the destruction of these products in the wake of the BSE scare was a last option "and I know that view is shared by the different elements of the livestock industry".

The House agreed to the Minister's motion to pay offal renderers a subsidy to store meat and bone meal until May 21st. The maximum cost to the exchequer would be £2.5 million. It was a temporary scheme. "I want to leave nobody in any doubt about that," Mr Yates said.

In the absence of alternatives to any cash flow from the sale of meat and bone meal the rendering industry would have closed down last month. This would have led to the closure in turn, of abattoirs, slaughterhouses and meat processing premises as hygiene rules dictated that raw offal could not build up in these premises, he said.

He had agreed to the request of the Federation of Irish Renderers to provide a breathing space so that they could continue to accept offal and maintain the renderers' activities.

The scheme he introduced provided for paying £1.50 a tonne per week for storage of offal between April 10th and May 21st. There was a payment of £150 a tonne for meat and bone meal produced during that period. In the event of the produce being disposed of the Department would be recompensed.

Commercial outlets for Irish meat and bone meal were restricted at present, but the rendering industry was producing a quality feeding stuff.

The UK authorities had banned the use of mammalian meat and bone meal in feed for all farm animals, including pigs and poultry, but explained this was for reasons which were not based on scientific considerations. That measure was not adopted by the EU, and member states were not being encouraged to introduce it.

"In those circumstances, the UK is the only member state with a broad based ban. Our inquiries indicate that the rendering industries in continental member states are continuing to produce bone meal for the pig and poultry sectors.

"Scientific discussions at which my Department is represented are ongoing through the EU scientific advisory committee on the various processes which are recognised as giving the best possible guarantees as regards killing BSE and sheep scrapie.

"We are making every possible effort to encourage clear cut scientific guidelines in order to produce the framework for the continued commercial use of meat and bone meal by non ruminants, subject to production at the correct temperatures and in approved and validated premises. This will provide the basis for the continued commercial use of meat and bone meal."

Regarding the BSE issue, Mr Yates said further work was needed to defuse the situation in the UK. It was clear that recovery in beef consumption would be slow and that a lot of effort was needed to restore customer confidence. The Irish domestic markets had fared better than most and some other EU markets were showing "small signs of recovery".

Ireland's efforts to secure the reopening of markets were continuing. He would be travelling to Libya later this month and an Iranian veterinary delegation was due to come here soon. "Every conceivable effort is being made to get these markets reopened."

The subsidy for the rendering industry was an important element in the strategy to deal with the crisis and had proved its value in allowing the industry to function normally at a very sensitive time.