The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has confirmed that a national veterinary service to oversee abattoirs has been agreed in principle.
The minister was responding to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil TD and chairperson of the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee, Jackie Cahill.
The Tipperary TD asked the minister for an update on the long-running discussions about the transfer of local authority veterinary services to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
As part of the proposed changes, it is understood that veterinary inspectors would continue to enforce the same legislation in the small abattoirs that they currently supervise, but their employment would transfer to the department.
Last year, a steering group and a working group, comprising of representation from these organisations, have been established by the Department of Health to explore the potential transfer of the veterinary service to DAFM.
Veterinary service
At present, local authorities under a service contract with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) are responsible for food law enforcement at certain food businesses, including small meat manufacturing plants and slaughterhouses.
Minister McConalogue confirmed that on January 3, the Department of Health, DAFM, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the FSAI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
This confirmed that the parties had reached an “agreement in principle” for the State to have a single national veterinary service for the supervision of food production premises.
It would involve the Local Authority Veterinary Service (LAVS) being incorporated into the existing DAFM veterinary service.
“Understanding the significant complexities involved in progressing the transfer of the LAVS to DAFM, the parties have agreed to develop a phased transitional plan, which will be in consultation with the local government sector,” Minister McConalogue said.