Ireland:Ireland

Last updated on 27 October 2023.

* Host institution of the national EFSA Focal Point. For information on the EFSA Focal Point network, please see the EFSA website.

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Most Irish food legislation derives from Ireland's membership of the European Union. In Ireland, there is no institutional separation of risk assessment from risk management. Risk assessments are in principle published on the Internet unless there are statutory provisions that prohibit it.

Department of Health

Name	Department of Health
Acronym	DoH
Activities	Health policy, food safety policy
Location	Dublin
URL	http://health.gov.ie

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.

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Name	Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Acronym	DAFM
Activities	Agricultural policy, food safety policy Food and feed risk assessment Codex Contact Point
Responsibilities
Location	Dublin
URL	http://www.agriculture.gov.ie

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.

Food Safety Authority of Ireland

Name	Food Safety Authority of Ireland
Acronym	FSAI
Activities	Risk assessment Risk communication Risk management EFSA Focal Point RASFF contact point
Responsibilities
Location	Dublin
URL	http://www.fsai.ie

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.

Health Service Executive

Name	Health Service Executive
Acronym	HSE
Activities	Public health Environmental health Food safety
Responsibilities
Location	Kildare
URL	http://www.hse.ie

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.

Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority

Name	Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority
Acronym	SFPA
Activities	Regulation of the sea fishing and seafood sectors
Responsibilities
Location	Cork
URL	http://www.sfpa.ie

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.

Marine Institute

Name	Marine Institute
Acronym	MI
Activities	Marine research, technology development and innovation
Responsibilities
Location	Galway
URL	http://www.marine.ie

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.

National Standards Authority of Ireland

Name	National Standards Authority of Ireland
Acronym	NSAI
Activities	National standards and measurement body
Responsibilities
Location	Dublin
URL	http://www.nsai.ie

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.

Local Authority Veterinary Service

Name	Local Authority Veterinary Service
Acronym	LAVS
Activities	Food law compliance in small slaughter and meat establishments
Responsibilities
Locations	one in each of the 32 counties on the island of Ireland

The Local Authority Veterinary service is a collective of veterinary inspectors based in local authorities and subject to 25 service contracts with FSAI. They act independently and locally in their work enforcing food law in small slaughter establishments and meat processing plants.

Article 36 institutions

Institutions involved in the EFSA network pursuant to Article 36 Reg. (EC) No. 178/2002

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Dublin City University Food Safety Authority of Ireland Marine Institute Maynooth University Munster Technological University National University of Ireland, Galway safefood (Food Safety Promotion Board) Teagasc, The Agriculture and Food Development Authority Technological University Dublin (TUD) Trinity College Dublin University College Cork, National University of Ireland, Cork University College Dublin University of Limerick