I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."
The fundamental aim of this Bill is to meet the need for a comprehensive and uniform set of national quality standards for meat for the home market. Changed trading practices and increased consumer awareness in recent years have shown that many of the existing controls in this area need to be updated. The Bill also provides for a new system of controls on meat disposals for non-human use.
In the Seanad, where the Bill was introduced, Senators on all sides acknowledged the need for fresh legislation in this area and welcomed the overall thrust of the proposed measures. The Bill was extensively debated in that House and some amendments were made during its passage.
For many years concern has been expressed about conditions at abattoirs providing meat for the home market. The main criticism has been that these abattoirs operate under much lower standards than the export plants. A survey of abattoirs and knackeries conducted in 1982 by the Department of Agriculture indicated that there were 854 local abattoirs in operation. While high standards prevailed in many, some premises were found to be old and insanitary, difficult to keep clean and far short of the standards considered necessary for any food premises. Together, these premises handle an annual slaughtering throughput of 230,000 cattle, 790,000 sheep and 320,000 pigs, representing the vast bulk of this country's home meat requirements.
Today's consumers, whether here at home or abroad, are consistent in their demands for the highest standards of hygiene, wholesomeness and excellence in the food that is offered to them for sale. It is imperative, therefore, that our production and processing standards for meat for home consumption must be consistent with and at the same top level as those at our meat export plants.
Since taking on responsibility for food, I have repeatedly stressed the need to build on our reputation as a country which produces, processes and markets top quality food products in a wholesome environment.