Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 227: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of inspectors within the Food Safety Authority of Ireland that enforce the food labelling legislation; the other functions of these inspectors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28136/06]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Section 49 of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act 1998 provides that the Board or Chief Executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) may appoint, in writing, persons to be authorised officers for the purposes of the Act. Authorised officers enforce food law, which is defined within the Act and set out in detail in the FSAI Act 1998 (Amendment of First and Second Schedules) Order 2006 (S.I. No. 320 of 2006). Food law as described within the Order includes several regulations on food labelling and food labelling provisions within many other regulations.

The FSAI has appointed twenty eight of its own staff as authorised officers under the 1998 Act, which allows them to enforce food law — including regulations on food labelling. However, the bulk of day-to-day enforcement of food labelling regulations is carried out by the authorised officers of official agencies — the Health Service Executive, the Department of Agriculture and Food, the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, the local authorities and the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs.

Some of the twenty eight authorised officers within the FSAI are involved in occasional survey work or audits which include checks on food labelling. Audits and surveys have included checks on labelling and traceability of meat and fish, genetically modified food, fruit juice, honey and infant formulae. Such work is usually carried out in conjunction with staff in the official agencies. Depending on the particular audit or survey, FSAI staff involved are drawn from various divisions within the Authority but all have a wide range of other duties apart from checks on food labelling.