Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 June 2024
273. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if slaughterers at a company (details supplied) are fully trained and approved by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26283/24]
View answerOperatives in slaughter plants approved by my Department, including the one mentioned by the Deputy, are required under EU Regulation 1099/2009 to hold a Certificate(s) of Competence in respect of a number of operations - this includes slaughter procedures.
Operatives undertake a Teagasc accredited training course and examination prior to being assessed by my Department’s veterinary officials. Certificates of Competence are only issued once the required level of skill has been demonstrated by the applicant.
The training and assessment procedures necessary for plant operatives to obtain a Certificate of Competence is detailed in Trader Notice 16/2014 (attached for the Deputy’s information).
The activities of all operatives holding Certificates of Competence are continuously monitored by Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) staff in the approved slaughter plant facility as part of regular audits of the Food Business Operator’s Animal Welfare Standard Operating Procedure.
Specifically in relation to the plant noted, the Deputy will be aware, as has been reported in the media that there is an active investigation taking place led by my Department and An Garda Síochána.
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Trader Notice MH 16/2014
To: All Food Business Operators at EU Approved Slaughter Establishments.
Subject: Procedures associated with application for Certificates of Competence by slaughter plant operatives required under Regulation 1099/2009.
Background
Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 came into force on 1st January 2013. SI 292 of 2013 (European Union (Protection Of Animals At The Time Of Killing) Regulations 2013) gives authorised officers the powers to enforce the provisions of this regulation.
Regulation 1099/2009 requires slaughter plant operatives who handle live animals to hold an operation specific Certificate of Competence.
Scope
This Trader Notice covers the procedures to be adopted in the application for Certificates of Competence (CoCs) and assessment of plant operative applicants prior to issuing Certificates of Competence.
This Trader Notice does not cover the award of Certificates of Competence to proposed Animal Welfare Officers (AWO) unless they put themselves forward for direct assessment in the same manner as plant operatives.[AWOs will be covered by a subsequent Trader Notice]
Application Procedure
Certificates of Competence are species, operation and equipment specific. Operatives working with several species at the same approved slaughter plant must have a Certificate of Competence which is valid for each species worked with. Equally, if more than one type of stunning equipment is used, the operative must hold separate Certificates of Competence which are valid for each (e.g. Pig plants where CO2 gas stunning is generally used but where an electric tongs is also used for sows).
Each individual applicant, with the assistance of the FBO, must produce:
1. Evidence of Training and Examination Passed
Certificates of Competence may be awarded to slaughter plant operatives who demonstrate that they have undergone an approved course in Animal Welfare at Slaughter covering the operations listed in Regulation 1099/2009
Evidence of Training and Examination passed must be presented to the VI in charge at the time of submission of application forms. This evidence may comprise:
1. Certificate of Attendance at a Teagasc Animal Welfare Training Course and of passing the Official Teagasc Animal Welfare Examination, or
2. Evidence of attendance at a DAFM approved FBO Animal Welfare Training Course (FBO Training Record) and a Certificate of passing the Official Teagasc Animal Welfare Examination. If you are unsure about whether an FBO animal welfare course was DAFM approved please check with VPHIS HQ. If the course was not DAFM approved it cannot be accepted as evidence of training.
2. Declaration
The applicant for a Certificate of Competence must sign a written declaration (built into the Application Form) stating that he/she has committed no serious infringement of Community law and/or national law on the protection of animals in the three years preceding the date of application for such a certificate.
3. Photographic Identification
The applicant must present his/her photographic ID (Passport or Drivers License) to the plant VI. In addition, an identified digital passport size photograph must be e-mailed to Meat Hygiene Division.
4. Application Form
Each applicant for a Certificate of Competence must complete an Application Form This form must specify the following:
· The operation (s) for which the Certificate of Competence is applied for.
· The species for which the Certificate of Competence is applied for.
· The equipment for which the Certificate of Competence is applied for.
· The evidence of training and examinations passed
The applicant must sign the declaration and the form must be countersigned by an FBO representative (supervisor).
The FBO must ask the VI to sign off all of the Application Forms which are then forwarded by the FBO to Meat Hygiene Division.
5. Summary:
When presented to the VI the Application form must be accompanied by:
1. Evidence of Training and Examination to be copied by DAFM.
2. Photographic ID to be copied by DAFM
3. Digital passport sized identified photograph (sent by e-mail to Meat Hygiene Division)
Role of the FBO
The Role of the FBO is to:
1. Ensure that all operatives involved in any of the 7 operations listed above apply for a Certificate of Competence on the application form available from the Veterinary Office [or Meat Hygiene Division]
2. Ensure that any operatives whose first language is not English fully understand what they are applying for and the Declaration they are signing.
3. Ensure that all Application Forms are signed off by the VI
4. Forward all Application Forms and identified Digital Photographs to Meat Hygiene Division at meatinspection@agriculture.gov.ie .
Assessment of Competence of Operatives
The VI is required to base his/her assessment of each applicant on direct observation of the operative at work using the VI Assessment Report accompanying this Trader Notice
Please ensure that the species, operations and equipment assessed match those on the Application Form.
Each applicant must show that he/she can carry out the operation(s) applied for without causing the animals any avoidable pain, distress or suffering.
A separate Assessment Report will be completed for different species in the same plant.
There are two possible outcomes to the assessment of applicants by direct observation of competence. These are:
1. The VI will recommend that the applicant be awarded a Certificate of Competence in all of the operations applied for.
2. The VI will recommend that award of Certificate of Competence be deferred in one or more of the operations applied for pending the applicant undergoing additional training and reassessment after a defined period (e.g. 1 month)
The VI will forward the completed VI Assessment Report to Meat Hygiene Division at the following address: meatinspection@agriculture.gov.ie . CoCs will issue based on the VI’s recommendations. Certificates will be printed in batches and therefore may take a number of weeks to issue, depending on demand.
Organization of Applicant Assessments
Since a large number of applicants for Certificates of Competence may be put forward for assessment it may take some time to carry out all of the assessments..
FBOs should discuss the time-organization of applicant assessments with the VI to ensure that this work is carried out in an organized way.
The FBO should divide applications up into:
A. Critical operatives – essential operatives who require CoCs immediately because they work at defined operations on all kill days
B. Less critical operatives – substitute or stand-by operatives who will require CoCs but not necessarily immediately.
The individual assessments are wholly based on on-the-job assessment. This will only involve observation of the operative at work and there is no requirement to interview the applicants.
Applicants for Certificates of Competence in Slaughter without Prior Stunning (Article 4(4))
All operatives involved in any aspect of the slaughter of animals without prior stunning (under Article 4(4) of Regulation 1099/2009) must hold a Certificate of Competence for this operation. These include all operatives involved in:
1. The restraint of animals for slaughter without prior stunning
2. The severing of the jugulars and carotids
3. The release of the animals from the restraint
4. The shackling of animals slaughtered without prior stunning
5. Monitoring slaughter without prior stunning
Applicants should be assessed on the basis of the part of the operation that they are involved in.
