Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

No decisions have been made and there is no Department document that talks about closing anything. There is a report that was compiled by an eminent person who has internationally-recognised expertise in this area. That report is now the subject of consultation with the staff. That is where matters stand. There is no recommendation to close any regional laboratory service. It is wrong to create that impression. The people who work in those laboratories have been done a disservice by the heightening of fears regarding closure. We would be rightly criticised if we did not occasionally critique ourselves against what is best practice in order to underpin the offering that the industry makes globally in its safety, provenance, etc. That is what these regional labs do. There is a process under way and staff should engage in that.

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