Vol. 472 No. 4
65 Mr. Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the funding, if any, which was made available in 1996 within his Department for the running of pesticide laboratories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23371/96]
My Department's Estimate for 1996 includes £218,000 for the direct running costs, including purchase and replacement of equipment of the pesticide laboratory at Abbotstown. In addition, salary costs, travel and subsistence for the pesticide control service are circa £458,000. The pesticide control service is responsible for (1) the authorisation of plant protection products and the clearance of pesticide products for placing on the Irish Market after detailed evaluation of scientific dossiers including safety evaluations, (2) the enforcement programmes to ensure that the pesticide products placed on the market are used in compliance with the regulations, (3) operating the national monitoring and enforcement programme relating to monitoring pesticide residues in raw agricultural produce, (4) enforcement of the prohibition on the marketing and use of specified substances and (5) evaluation of three active substances as part of a community wide review of active substances being undertaken under the harmonized Directive on plant protection products.
