Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are establishing a new category 4 laboratory in Backweston, which will allow us to test for more diseases than are currently tested for in Ireland. We have international certification to carry out this testing, which is expensive to do. While I understand staff numbers in Backweston will not increase, the facility's capacity for testing, especially for animal diseases, will increase significantly. I recall that when I approved this expenditure I considered it important to make the allocation given some of our experiences in the early part of the year in terms of consumer confidence in the food industry. I want to have the most advanced laboratories possible, which is the reason for the increase in the allocation.