Vol. 525 No. 2
619 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans he has to ensure that each health board or authority has environmental health officers who specialise in food inspection or in specific aspects of food inspections. [24697/00]
My Department provides funds for the recruitment of health service personnel, including environmental health officers in the regional health boards. A total of over 200 additional environmental health officers have been appointed in food control services since 1997. The service contracts between the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the health boards provide for specific environmental health staff to food inspections and official control of food services. I support the continuous training of health board food control personnel and have provided specific funding for food safety audit training courses for environmental health officers.
