Could I ask the Minister to comment on the report in this morning's newspaper which suggested that the Department of Agriculture report put forward the view that 80 per cent of Irish abbatoirs were unsuitable?

The report will be examined by me and I have no doubt that it will be examined very carefully by the Minister for Agriculture. I have no details of the report yet.

Is the Minister aware that the Departments in question, Health and Agriculture, have very little power in this area, that it is the local authorities who deal with it and that there is little legislation in the Departments guiding local authorities in this area? Will the Minister look at that very urgently because it is a serious situation?

I would not accept that assertion at all. The Deputy is well aware of the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, the food hygiene regulations of 1950 and onwards and the regular updating of these regulations and legislation. Any offender who is found to have broken the law in relation to these regulations is substantially fined or imprisoned.

Those Acts do not control the abbatoirs.

I will deal with this specific aspect of public abbatoirs if the Deputy puts down a question.