Limerick East): It is my intention that Ireland should comply fully with EU Council Directive 93/43/EEC on the hygiene of foodstuffs. Currently the statutory requirements in Ireland in relation to food hygiene and food premises are set out in Food Hygiene Regulations, 1950-1989, which consist of a number of statutory instruments. Work is at an advanced stage to revoke this entire existing code and to replace it with a single statutory instrument which will also transpose Directive 93/43/EEC. This has involved extensive consultation with both the food industry and the enforcement agencies and the preparation of a new set of regulations is at an advanced stage.
The Directive, when transposed, will be enforced by environmental health officers in the health boards. As the Deputy is aware, EHOs who are members of IMPACT are engaged in a limited form of industrial action which entails non-co-operation with the implementation of any legislation which has been enacted since 1981. Consequently to revoke and replace the current regulations while the dispute is in progress could result in a situation where no regulations were being enforced.
Pending its transposition into Irish law, my Department has been actively promoting the principles and practices contained in Directive 93/43/EEC. A central element of the directive is the promotion of the system of HACCP, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, whereby food business operators shall identify any step in their activities which is critical to ensuring food safety and ensure that adequate safety procedures are identified, implemented, maintained and reviewed.