By Kieron Wood

Ritual killing of animals by Muslims and Jews is to be excluded from a new European Commission animal welfare regulation dealing with conditions for slaughtering animals.

Six of the 35s laughter plants currently approved by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food provide ritual slaughter techniques.

Animals which are ritually slaughtered are not stunned beforehand, but have their throats cut while fully conscious. Orthodox Jews and Muslims are not permitted to eat meat unless it is kosher or halal.

‘‘As freedom of religion is enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and also considered in the protocol on the protection and welfare of animals annexed to the treaty, that takes precedence in this particular case,” said a Dublin spokeswoman for the commission.

A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture said the number of animals slaughtered using these methods varied greatly from month to month. ‘‘Orders are usually made on a batch basis, depending on the customers’ requirements,” he said.

The European Commission began a research project two years ago on issues relating to religious slaughter. The project is due to end in October 2009, with proposals to reconcile the demand for religiously-slaughtered meat with requirements of animal welfare.

The regulation adopted by the commission will bring existing rules into line with food hygiene regulations. It will also require regular monitoring of stunning equipment, to ensure that stunned animals do not regain consciousness before being killed.

The regulation now has to be approved by the European Parliament.