The Government will consider a proposal at next Tuesday's Cabinet meeting to build at least one more plant for rendering animals into meat and bonemeal, it was confirmed yesterday.
The Ministers will be deciding on a £9 million package to deal with the growing problem of how to dispose of so-called Specified Risk Material to prevent BSE entering the foodchain and how to deal with casualty animals.
Currently only one plant in the State, Monery in Co Cavan, handles all the heads, entrails and other materials from cattle and sheep which scientists deem to be most likely to carry Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy.
With demands from the EU for increased testing of animals to be extended to casualty and so-called "fallen animals", additional capacity to dispose of these is necessary.
The Government has given a commitment in the Partnership programme to the farming organisations that it will arrange for the disposal of dead stock which over recent years amounted to between 65,000 and 80,000 animals.
Until three years ago, knackeries provided a free service to farmers and took away their animals because the by-product could be sold.
But with increasing worries about BSE, farmers have been forced to pay for the disposal of animals or bury them.
The Department of Agriculture and Food confirmed yesterday it had received applications for three additional rendering plants. Two of the applications were for plants in Co Tipperary and the other in Co Cavan.
He said the applications were being assessed by Environment Protection Agency but it would appear there was a need for an additional plant to deal with the increasing problems of disposal.