Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 522: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the plans she has to upgrade her Department's facilities at Dublin Airport; the volume of product collected and seized by her officials at the airport in the last available 12 month period; the origin of flights where such product has been seized and volumes involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27992/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The facilities are provided by the Dublin Airport Authority in order to enable my Department carry out its statutory functions for the protection of animal and public health and food safety. The airport facilities include office, interview and examination areas for the operation of control checks by Department personnel on:

—personal import of animal products by passengers;

—the licensed import of samples of animal products, including pathogens, for research and testing;

—the Border Inspection Controls on import from third countries of live animals,

—export certification requirements for trade in live animals, and

—the operation of necessary bio-safety measures for prevention of the transmission of animal diseases.

The Office of Public Works is currently carrying out refurbishment work on the Department's office facilities at the airport in accordance with the Dublin Airport Authority's development plan. As there are few direct third country flights that land in Dublin airport my Department therefore carries out checks on passengers arriving on flights coming from hub airports. The total volume of animal products seized at the Airport during 2005 was 2,520.75 kgs. The data includes animal products seized from passengers who commenced their journeys in another Member State of the EU where no health or traceability marking was attached to the animal products.

During 2005 the following quantities have been seized from passengers who commenced their journeys in the following airports: