Ireland

The Department of Health (DoH) is responsible for policy issues in the area of food safety, for formulating and transposing EU regulations and for reviewing national legislation. It provides the governance oversight function for the Food Safety Authority of Ireland on behalf of Government. Its remit covers the retail sectors for food and non-retail processing and distribution of foods of animal and non-animal origin.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is responsible for policy development, negotiation at the EU level, implementation in national law of EU rules and official controls in the areas of primary production of food, animal health and welfare, feed safety, plant health, fisheries, slaughtering of animals and processing of foods of animal origin up to but not including the retail level. DAFM carries out risk assessments in the field of animal feed and pesticides. DAFM personnel also enforce food law and conduct risk management of food under contract with the FSAI. DAFM’s enforcement of feed law and associated risk management activities are standalone functions. Eight National Reference Laboratories are attached to DAFM pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 882/2004. The remit of DAFM extends beyond food safety to include, for instance, plant health, animal health, animal welfare, feed, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and zoonoses. DAFM is the regulatory authority for pesticides and veterinary drugs.

DAFM national veterinary service is subdivided into four regional animal health and welfare inspectorates with 28 District Veterinary Offices. There are six regional veterinary public health inspectorate regions.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is a statutory, independent and science-based body dedicated to protecting public health and consumer interests in the area of food safety and hygiene. Established in 1999, its principal function is to protect consumers and improve compliance through partnership, science, and food law enforcement. It is an independent agency under the aegis of the Minister of Health.

The FSAI enforces food legislation in Ireland. It does this by managing official control activities through service contract arrangements with other bodies – namely, the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA), local authorities, the Marine Institute (MI) and the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) – as well as scientific and technical support to other bodies through publications and training, and conducting risk assessments to underpin risk management decisions and actions. The FSAI runs the national RASFF contact point and the Administrative Assistance and Cooperation (AAC) national contact point as well as the national EFSA Focal Point.

The FSAI has a remit to carry out risk assessments, risk management and risk communication relating to food safety.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) was established by the DoH as part of the provisions of the Health Act, enacted in 2004. The Environmental Health Service is part of the HSE and provides a range of food safety and food control services on behalf of the FSAI. It is responsible for official controls at retail level and on foods of non-animal origin. The HSE has nine food laboratories which are official laboratories pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 882/2004. Two of these laboratories have been appointed as National Reference Laboratories.

The HSE is divided into four geographical regions: Southern Region, Western Region, Dublin Mid-Leinster Region and Dublin North Eastern Region. There are between seven and nine environmental health sections in each region and 39 nationally.

The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) is responsible for the implementation and enforcement of national and EU legislation that deals with health conditions for the production and placing on the market of fish, shellfish and fishery products. Its remit extends from harvesting and catching through to fish and fish products being placed on the market, but excluding products for retail sale, which are supervised by the HSE. The SFPA has six offices in the major ports around the coast.

The Marine Institute (MI) is responsible for implementation of aquatic animal health legislation under EU and National legislation and monitors the movement of finfish and shellfish into and within Ireland. The MI is the National Reference Laboratory for finfish, molluscs and crustacean disease. It provides scientific advice and support services to both the FSAI and SFPA.

The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is responsible for the development of Irish standards, representing Irish interests in the work of the European and international standards bodies CEN and ISO, the recognition of natural mineral waters and controls on suppliers of food contact materials.