The Department deploys 34 sea fishery officers on inspections of seafood processing plants throughout the country. All the sea fishery officers are qualified to diploma level in fisheries technology or have higher qualifications in related disciplines, about which I am happy.
My Department is giving particular priority to training for sea fishery officers in food safety legislative and technical standards and procedures. A programme of training modules, workshops and seminars is ongoing in conjunction with the National Food Centre, BIM and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. The range of subjects covered includes HACCP or hazard analysis of critical control points design and auditing, the microbiology of food, fish and fishery products, shellfish hygiene, fish hygiene technology, EU market standards, third country imports, fish identification, EU shellfish, fish and fishery product regulations.
The Department undertakes seafood safety regulation and inspection under contract with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, FSAI. This contract operates to ensure all national and EU food regulations are enforced to EU and FSAI requirements and is the subject of ongoing review by the Department and the FSAI. To ensure required standards of food safety are in place, inspections are routinely carried out at fish processing plants, shellfish dispatch centres, auction halls, shellfish production areas, ice plants and fishing vessels.
The proportion of time devoted to seafood safety inspection varies operationally and is given a high priority within the full range of duties of a sea fishery officer. In percentage terms, the Department currently devotes up to 60% of its sea fishing inspectorate resources to food safety- related duties.