Ref. Ares(2018)2709936 - 25/05/2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................2 1 ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS OF REGULATION (EC) NO 882/2004 ......................................2 Designation of competent authorities ..........................................................................2 Organisation and implementation of official controls .................................................2 Enforcement measures...............................................................................................19 Verification and review of official controls and procedures .....................................20 2 COMPETENT AUTHORITIES AND DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES IN RELATION TO INDIVIDUAL CONTROL SYSTEMS .................................................................................................................25 2.1. Control system for animal health.....................................................................25 2.2. Control system for food of animal origin ........................................................29 2.3. Control system for imports of animals and food of animal origin...................32 2.4. Control system for feedingstuffs and animal nutrition ....................................35 2.5. Control system for TSE/ABP...........................................................................38 2.6. Control system for veterinary medicines and residues ....................................44 2.7. Control system for foodstuffs and food hygiene (food of non-animal origin) 48 2.8. Control system for imports of food of non-animal origin................................51 2.9. Control system for plant protection products (PPP) and pesticide residues ....53 2.10. Control system for animal welfare...................................................................57 2.11. Control system for plant health........................................................................59 2.12. Control system for quality labelling (Organic, PDO/PGI/TSG)......................61 ANNEX – ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS AND SPECIAL TERMS .......................63 2 DG(SANTE)/2018-6471 Version date April 2018 INTRODUCTION This overview has been drawn up by the Health and Food Audit and Analysis Directorate of the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission, based on information supplied by Ireland. The aim is to present, in summary form, the latest information on how control systems for food and feed safety, animal health, animal welfare, plant health and quality labelling are organised in Ireland. Chapter 1 describes the overall organisation of the Irish authorities and the respective responsibilities of the ministries and government agencies in relation to the different components of the control system. A chart is used to help the reader better understand the inter- relationships between the responsibilities of the different bodies. Chapter 2 gives a more detailed description of the main responsibilities for each of the twelve separate systems that form the complete range of control systems in Ireland, covering the whole chain of plant, animal and food production. As in Chapter 1, organisation charts are used to help the reader. This overview was updated following a general follow-up audit in 2018 and will be updated at regular intervals based on relevant information received by the Commission from the Irish authorities. Acronyms are used extensively throughout this overview for the sake of brevity. A list of acronyms, abbreviations and special terms is given in the Annex as a guide for the reader. 3 DG(SANTE)/2018-6471 Version date April 2018 Summary The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Department of Health (DoH) are the two departments in Ireland responsible for developing policy and legislation for food safety. Both departments are supported in their roles by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), under the DoH. In addition, DAFM is responsible for developing policy and legislation for feed safety, animal health, animal welfare and plant health as well as enforcement of legislation in relation to food safety at the level of primary production. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has overall responsibility for the enforcement of food safety legislation in Ireland, apart from at the level of primary production. FSAI manages its responsibility through contractual arrangements with the individual competent authorities (CA) concerned. These authorities include: the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA), the Marine Institute, Local Authorities (LA), and DAFM, which operates both centrally and regionally, and the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI). The division of responsibilities throughout the country varies according to the control system involved. FSAI has a Memorandum of Understanding with certain bodies which have a role in food safety controls, such as Revenue’s Customs Service, but which are not specifically charged with the enforcement of food legislation. A comprehensive national laboratory network is involved in the analysis of samples and provision of scientific research. The current version of the multi-annual control plan (MANCP), covering the period 2012 to 2017 (Version 1) and prepared jointly by FSAI and the DAFM is available on the FSAI website. A new National Control Plan covering the period 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2022 is expected to be published in 2018. The Annual Report on the implementation of the MANCP for 2015 has been submitted to the Commission Services. The Annual Report on the implementation of the MANCP for 2016 had not yet been submitted at the time of the publication of this Country Profile. 4 DG(SANTE)/2018-6471 Version date April 2018 1 ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS OF REGULATION (EC) NO 882/2004 Designation of competent authorities Competent authorities The following three charts show the various bodies involved in official control of food, feed, animal health, animal welfare and plant health, the different stages in the food chain and the competent authorities (CA) involved. Chart 1 - Government departments, competent authorities and other agencies involved in official control of food (apart from primary production) 5 DG(SANTE)/2018-6471 Version date April 2018 Chart 2 - Government departments, competent authorities and other agencies involved in official control of feed, animal health and welfare and plant health Secto r: Feed Secto r: Plan t Health Secto r: An imal Health an d Welfare Go v ern men t Dep artmen t o f Ag ricu ltu re, Dep artmen t o f Ag ricu ltu re, Dep artmen t o f Ag ricu ltu re, Dep artmen ts Fo o d an d th e Marin e Fo o d an d th e Marin e Fo o d an d th e Marin e resp o n sib le fo r leg islatio n an d p o licy Cen tral Co mp eten t Dep artmen t o f Dep artmen t o f Dep artmen t o f Au th o rity Ag ricu ltu re, resp o n sib le fo r Ag ricu ltu re, Ag ricu ltu re, Fo o d an d th e en fo rcemen t o f Fo o d an d th e Fo o d an d th e Marin e Marin e Marin e leg islatio n in th is secto r Official Marin e In stitu te Ag en cies in v o lv ed in th e en fo rcemen t Lo cal Au th o rities o f leg islatio n in th is secto r Chart 3 - Stages in the food chain and the competent authorities involved in official controls* FSAI Slaughter / Harvesting Manufacture / Processing SFPA Including primary NSAI LAs production of fish Food contact material DAFM and recognition Wholesale / Distribution HSE of natural mineral waters Import Retail / Catering Consumption DAFM Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine FSAI Food Safety Authority of Ireland LAs Local Authorities 6 DG(SANTE)/2018-6471 Version date April 2018 HSE Health Service Executive SFPA Sea Fisheries Protection Authority NSAI National Standards Authority of Ireland * DAFM is responsible for official controls on primary production of both food of animal origin and food of non- animal origin (not illustrated); DAFM Poultry and Control Group conduct official controls on eggs at retail level (not illustrated); DAFM Horticultural and Plant Health Division conduct official controls on horticultural produce at retail level (not illustrated). Government Departments Responsible for Policy and Legislation Development As outlined in Chart 1, there are two government departments in Ireland responsible for developing policy and legislation for food safety. Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM); and Department of Health (DoH). As outlined in Chart 2 DAFM is responsible for the development of policy, negotiation of rules at European Union level and implementation in national law of those rules, for: Animal health, animal welfare, feed safety, plant health; Primary production of food; Slaughter, cutting, preparation and processing of foods of animal origin, including fish, up to but not including, retail level; Import of food of animal origin and certain foods of non-animal origin control and pesticide residues controls on imported foods of plant origin; Controls on foods of non-animal origin at primary production level Controls on foods certified as having protected geographical indication (PGI), protected designation of origin (PDO) and/or traditional specialities guaranteed (TSG); Pesticide residues; Organics. The DoH is responsible for the development of policy, the negotiation of rules at European Union level and implementation