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.