Vol. 501 No. 1
136 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress, if any, to establish a food safety consultative council; the membership of the council; the consultative role and contact, if any, with interested groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5328/99]
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act, which was enacted in July 1998, came into force on 1 January 1999. The Act provides for the establishment of a food safety authority which will have a board, a scientific committee and a consultative council. As the Deputy will be aware, one of the six North/South implementation bodies to be established under the Good Friday Agreement is in the field of food safety. Detailed arrangements for this body are currently being worked out and will inevitably have an impact on the functions envisaged for the FSAI under the 1998 Act. While I have appointed some members to the board of the FSAI to enable it to fulfil certain of its statutory functions, the FSAI has not yet proceeded to appoint the scientific committee or the consultative council pending final clarification of its role vis-à-vis the North/South implementation body.
