Day 020 - 28 Jul 94 - Page 46
1 imported from the Irish Republic.
2 Q. Is that the only place that you were told about or not?
A. He was referring to that particular point in time.
3 I believe they may have taken from our sources, but I do
not recall which they were, or how many there were.
4
Q. When cows arrive at the abattoirs are some rejected as
5 being too diseased or too unhygienic?
A. In the live animal you are required by law to
6 slaughter the animal within 72 hours of arrival at the
abattoir. So they would not be rejected in as much as
7 they would be rejected from the premises.
8 Q. Right.
A. However, if on postmortem inspection they were found
9 unfit for human consumption, the carcass could be
rejected.
10
Q. Do you know if that is something that is quite standard in
11 slaughterhouses, rejected carcasses?
A. Partial condemnation or rejection is common place, and
12 it is a requirement in all abattoirs; there is an official
meat inspector who is paid by the local authority to
13 perform this job.
14 Q. When you say "partial", does that mean that one part of
the cow would be rejected but the rest of it would be
15 used?
A. Correct.
16
Q. Do you happen to have any idea of the approximate
17 prevalence that might be of percentage of cows coming into
the slaughterhouse?
18 A. Offhand, no. There is published information on this
which should be available on various literature..
19
Q. Did you ask abattoirs that you surveyed about the
20 rejections at all?
A. No, I did not.
21
Q. If we can move on to your statement? Do you have a copy
22 in front of you? We are on page 10.
A. Yes.
23
Q. Shall we go through plant A, the goads that were being
24 used as the cattle came through the holding pens: Would
other cows be aware of the cows in front of them? Are the
25 cows separated at that point?
A. The cows are following one another ---
26
Q. So if a goad was ---
27 A. Typically.
28 Q. -- used and if the cow cried out, they would be aware of
that?
29 A. They would.
30 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You are saying "cows" but we are talking
about cattle generally now, however, are we?
