Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 2 May 1996

Vol. 464 No. 8

Written Answers. - Animal Drug Regulations.

Tony Gregory

Ceist:

27 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health the controls, if any, available to health boards regarding the sale of animal drugs; the number of premises licenced under the Poisons Act, 1960; the number of licences renewed to date in 1996; the number due for renewal in this period; the number of inspections carried out by health board personnel of premises in 1996; the effect, if any, on relicencing of the industrial action by health board environmental health officers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9001/96]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan

, Limerick East): Overall responsibility for animal drugs rests with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry. However, health boards are empowered under the Poisons Regulations, 1982, as amended, to grant licences to persons, in respect of premises situated within their functional areas, to enable such persons to sell, offer or keep for sale, those poisons listed in Part II of the First Schedule to the Regulations. Such licences, unless cancelled or suspended, continue in force for two years.

The regulations impose certain restrictions and limitations on licensees with special restriction applying to veterinary antibiotics.

The duty of enforcing the regulations in the case of licensed sellers falls mainly on the health boards. They may, at all reasonable times, for the purpose of ascertaining whether there has been a contravention of the regulations—

(a) enter premises of any class or description (non-pharmacy), or any vehicle or travelling shop; (b) inspect any substance which is stored or offered or kept for sale at such premises; (c) require the production of, and inspect and, if they think fit, take copies of any document or of any entry in book at such premises and (d) take (without payment) samples of poisons or of any substances stored, or offered or kept for sale, at such premises for test, examination or analysis.

The factual data required by the Deputy are of an operational nature and are not available in my Department. Undoubtedly, the ongoing industrial action by environmental health officers will have an impact on this and other aspects of their responsibilities. As in the case of all other groups of public service employees, the resolution of the EHO's dispute will have to be pursued through the normal industrial relations machinery in the context of negotiations under theProgramme for Competitiveness and Work pay agreement for the public service. Any further comments on my part would be inappropriate.