Vol. 477 No. 1
68 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if discussions have taken place between his Department and the Department of Health regarding the staffing and legislative provisions for the new Food Safety Board; if so, if he will give a full report on such discussions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8393/97]
As I indicated in response to a similar question last December, the primary function of the new Food Safety Board will be to monitor and assess the effectiveness of the controls and procedures in place to ensure compliance by the food industry with best practice in food safety and hygiene. For this purpose, it will have an independent auditing and supervisory role in relation to the food control and inspection functions of all Departments and agencies and will have the authority to make decisions binding on these bodies in regard of any aspect of those functions.
It will not, however, assume any of the primary functions of those other agencies and Departments, consequently the necessity for discussions between my Department and the Department of Health in regard to the staffing of the new board does not arise and no such discussions have taken place.
In accordance with the normal consultation procedure involved in the preparation of new legislation, discussions have taken place between my Department and the Department of Health on the draft heads of the Bill to establish the new board. Given that the core principles, as set out above, on which the board will operate had already been agreed by the Government, these discussions related to points of detail and clarification rather than substance and did not give rise to any difficulties.
