Vol. 545 No. 4
232 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Health and Children the functions of the Food Safety Promotion Board; the way in which this board will differ from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30410/01]
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 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.
