Use for meat and bone meal sought

A number of proposals for use of meat and bone meal in industry or energy generation in this country are at various stages of consideration by the relevant regulatory authorities, including the Environmental Protection Agency, Agriculture and Food Minister Joe Walsh revealed in the Dáil in reply to Fine Gael spokesman Billy Timmins.

Mr Timmins sought details on the amount of meat and bonemeal generated each week, the total amount in storage to date and the costs.

Minister Walsh said, in 2002, a total amount of 144,000 tonnes of meat and bonemeal was produced in Ireland, which works out at an average of 2,769 tonnes per week. At present, the total amount of MBM in storage is 210,000 tonnes.

Of this, his Department was responsible for 172,000 tonnes which gives rise to an annual storage cost of €3.75 million. The balance, though stored under controlled conditions, is the responsibility of the private sector.

From January, 2001, to date this year, close on 146 million will have been spent by the exchequer on the production, storage and disposal of MBM. The subsidy ended on May 31.

Mr Walsh said there are currently no domestic disposal facilities for MBM produced in Ireland.

However, he had established an interdepartmental agency-committee to examine the best available options for the use of MBM in industry and in non-feed uses here.