Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 443: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason for the decline in the frequency of inspections by the pesticides control service of her Department in 2002; and the low frequency of inspections in subsequent years. [37775/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Pesticide Residue Monitoring Programme is a risk based programme which is agreed between my Department and the Food Safety Authority on an annual basis. In the years 2000, 2001 and 2002 the number of mushroom samples analysed for pesticide residues included samples taken by An Bord Glas. The results which are published in the Department's annual report 'Pesticides Residues in Food' contained the results of between 40 and 50 mushroom samples taken per year.

Since 2002, the number of mushroom samples analysed annually under the Department's residue monitoring programme was 9 or 10 samples. This number compares favourably with other EU countries, where e.g., 10 mushroom samples were analysed in Sweden, 48 in the UK, 12 in the Netherlands and 19 in Belgium in 2005. The numbers taken were based on a risk analysis which was significantly influenced by the fact that there was no exceeding of the Maximum Residue Level for mushrooms sampled in Ireland since 1994.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 444: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she has plans to reform her Department's pesticides inspection regime. [37776/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Pesticide Residue Monitoring Programme is one agreed annually between my Department and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, FSAI, as part of the existing service contract between both organisations. My Department has fully implemented the monitoring programme for pesticide residues in food as agreed with the FSAI.

At present, within the EU, the legislation controlling the authorization and use of plant protection products is being revised and updated. The Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market 11755/06 AGRILEG 127 ENV 411 CODEC 773 on adoption will replace Directive 91/414/EEC and will also repeal Council Directive 79/117/EEC prohibiting the placing on the market and use of plant protection products containing certain active substances. The Proposal was developed following extensive consultations and is designed to update the existing regulatory framework for plant protection products. These discussions are linked to the Commission Communication on the Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides and the Commission Proposal for a Directive establishing a framework for Community action to achieve a sustainable use of pesticides. These initiatives form a cohesive package of measures. When discussions are finalised and legislation is adopted by the EU a revised set of comprehensive measures underpinned by revised national legislation will be put in place to control the authorisation and use of plant protection products.