The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is currently hiring temporary veterinary inspectors (TVIs) for meat plants around the country.

The panel of private veterinary practitioners (PVPs) supports DAFM veterinary inspectors to provide meat inspection services at DAFM-approved slaughter plants.

The positions are paid on an hourly rate of €86.04, with the department noting it is not liable for any form of paid absence.

Applicants must be a veterinary practitioner registered with the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI).

DAFM

The department said that the application process consists of several stages and applicants will only be offered a position on the panel if they fulfil all the requirements at each stage.

Applicants may select up to four panels in their order of preference for which they wish to be considered and these must be numbered.

Where more applications are received than required for a panel, a lottery system will be applied.

Individuals, who have been permanently removed from meat plant panels arising from concerns in respect of their conduct or performance, will be considered ineligible to apply for placement on a panel.

An upper age limit of 70 will also apply for new entrants to the panels.

The closing date for applications is 5:00p.m on Monday, September 18, 2023.

Successful applicants will be required to complete an online induction course, approved by DAFM, on legislative requirements and ante and post-mortem systems and procedures.

They will also have to complete 30 hours of on-the-job training at the meat plant.

The following is a list of DAFM-approved meat plants and the numbers of required TVIs:

Meat plantNumber of required TVIs
ABP, Bandon, Co. Cork1
ABP, Clones, Co.Monaghan2
ABP, Ferrybank, Co. Waterford4
Ashbourne Meats, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary5
Ballon Meats, Raheen, Ballon. Co. Carlow2
C&J Meats, Edenmore, Co. Donegal2
Dawn Charleville, (Foods), Co. Cork3
Dawn Meats Grannagh, Co. Waterford2
Dawn Meats, Slane, Beauparc, Navan, Co. Meath1
Dawn Pork & Bacon, Grannagh, Co. Waterford4
Eurofarm, Cooksgrove, Duleek, Co. Meath1
Foyle Meats, Drumnasher, Carrigans, Co. Donegal2
ICM Camolin, Co. Wexford3
ICM Navan, Co. Meath1
Kepak Meat, Athleague2
Kepak Meats, Clonee, Co. Meath2
Kepak Meats, Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath1
Liffey Meats Hacketstown, Co. Carlow4
Liffey Meats/ O’ Connor Meats, Togher, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway2
Michael Staunton & Sons, Timoleague, Co. Cork1
Rosderra Irish Meats, Roscrea, Co Tipperary6
Shannonside Foods, Turnings Lower, Straffan, Co. Kildare2
Troy Meats, Rathnure, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath5
Source: DAFM