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The special Oireachtas committee on COVID-19 has recommended that an inquiry be established into the operation of the meat processing industry.
The committee, chaired by Independent TD Michael McNamara, recommends that an inquiry examines the use of agents to procure factory workers, the State’s response to protect workers and ensuring fairness to primary producers.
It said meat plants emerged as a significant hotspot for COVID-19 cases.
It considered that while plants were highly regulated in terms of food safety and hygiene, the same level of regulation was not extended to workers and their employment conditions. It said that the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) was slow to start inspections and a high proportion of them pre-announced.
[...] there was a substantial fall in the prices paid to farmers on those paid the previous year
The committee also heard that while kill-levels were down on the previous year, they were not substantially down.
At the same time, there was a substantial fall in the prices paid to farmers on those paid the previous year.
The first round of serial testing in meat plants is due to conclude this week. Latest figures show of 24,824 samples, 101 positives were detected, giving a positivity rate of 0.41%, a rate lower than that in the general population.
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