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.