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.

The 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.