asked the Minister for Health his views on whether there is duplication in the systems of inspection of food and food premises by his Department and the Department of Agriculture and Food; if such inspection should now be rationalised within one Department, preferably within the Department of Agriculture and Food applying export standards to all produce and outlets; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Inspection of Food and Food Premises.
81.
The Department of Agriculture and Food has a particular responsibility for meat and milk legislation as well as for regulations dealing with cereal and vegetable production and marketing.
The Department of Health also has a particular responsibility to ensure that food placed on the market for human consumption does not constitute a danger to public health.
If, where these two responsibilities meet, opportunties arise to improve the systems of inspection then steps are taken to bring about rationalisation. I am keeping the situation under review.
Such a step is now being considered in the context of the proposed slaughterhouses Bill. Conditions in slaughterhouses and the inspection of meat prior to its being placed on sale to the public can perhaps best be carried out by officials of the Department of Agriculture and Food in order to make the best use of available resources and personnel and to bring the situation into line with that already applying in export plants. Once meat leaves the slaughterhouse however to become an item of sale for human consumption, public health requirements can best be ensured by health personnel who have knowledge of human diseases and infections.
In addition to clear lines of responsibility, there is close liaison at local level between health board and local authority staff. Duplication in functions should therefore ordinarily not arise and I do not accept that there is confusion or duplication which would warrant the transfer of functions from my Department to the Department of Agriculture and Food or vice versa.