The Food Safety Authority of Ireland – FSAI – was formally established as an independent statutory body on 1 January 1999 under the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act, 1998. The principal function of the authority is to take all reasonable steps to ensure that food produced, distributed or marketed in the State meets the highest standards of food safety and hygiene reasonably available and in particular to ensure that such food complies with food legislation and where appropriate with standards or codes of good practice.
In the context of the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, an agency with responsibility for the promotion of food safety – the Food Safety Promotion Board – FSPB – was established as one of the six North-South Implementation Bodies. The functions of the FSPB, as provided for in the British-Irish Agreement Act, 1999, are as follows: the promotion of food safety; research into food safety; the communication of food alerts; the surveillance of food-borne diseases; the promotion of scientific co-operation and linkages between laboratories; and the development of cost-effective facilities for specialised laboratory testing. The British Irish Agreement Act, 1999, amended the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act, 1998, to modify any of the functions listed above which had previously been a function of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.
The roles of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the Food Safety Promotion Board are complementary. There is a need, however, to ensure that the two organisations work closely together and this is provided for in the legislation of the two organisations. At the operational level, close co-operation is enhanced by some common membership on the respective boards of the bodies.
In relation to the promotion of food safety, the FSPB will have primacy in this area, particularly in relation to general awareness campaigns. However, the FSAI may still engage in promotion in support of its compliance functions, for example, provision of good practice guidelines to industry. The FSAI had previously been active in general promotion, but is increasingly withdrawing from such areas as the FSPB becomes fully operational.
In relation to research, the FSPB has a general remit in relation to research and has already commissioned a number of projects as a result of research calls. In examining priorities for research, the FSPB liaises with other food safety research funding bodies, to obviate any duplication of effort. The FSAI may also undertake certain research projects in the performance of its functions. In deciding whether to commission any such research, the FSAI is required to have regard to any such undertaking by other persons in the state or by the FSPB.
In relation to the communication of food alerts, the FSPB is responsible for developing and moni toring protocols for the dissemination of food alerts and in this regard work closely with the FSAI and the food standards agency in Northern Ireland. The FSAI is the national contact point for the EU rapid alert system for foodstuffs. The authority is obliged to notify the Commission if unsafe food is on the market in Ireland or if such food has been exported to member states. The FSAI is also obliged to take appropriate action in a response to a notification from the Commission on the rapid alert system for foodstuffs. In relation to the development of specialised laboratories, the FSPB has been given the remit to assess the feasibility of developing such laboratories for the whole island.
The FSAI and the FSPB are in daily contact at all levels and keep each other fully informed of their activities. The bodies are also working jointly in a number of areas. I am satisfied that there is no duplication of activities or expenditure. The respective budgets are as follows: the Food Safety Promotion Board has been allocated a total of £6.5 million in 2001 – £4.550 million to be provided by the South and £1.950 million from the North; the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has been allocated a total of £5.92 million in 2001.
