Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 53: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the inspection regimes administered by her Department in relation to the mushroom growing industry; the frequency with which such inspections take place; the penalties in place for failure to comply with these Departmental regulations; the number of such establishments found to be in breach of existing regulations in 2005 and to date in 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40436/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The pesticide residue monitoring programme conducted by my Department on behalf of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), is reviewed and agreed on an annual basis with the FSAI. The risk-based programme thus developed involved the analysis of some 1,350 samples of agricultural produce in each of the years 2005 and 2006 for up to 150 different pesticide compounds.

In 2005 some 10 samples of mushrooms were taken. All were found to be free of illegal residues. In 2006, 12 samples have been analysed to-date, none of which contained illegal residues. Following media allegations of misuse of plant protection products by a mushroom grower, two samples were taken from the grower in question and both were found to be free of illegal residues of the products alleged to have been used. Indeed there were no illegal residues of plant protection products detected in any mushroom samples analysed in the period 1994 to 2006.

The regulatory framework for plant protection products in Ireland relating to the marketing and use of plant protection products as set out in SI 83 of 2003 is designed to ensure a very high standard of protection for human health and the environment. Enforcement of the legislation involves inspections to ensure that only approved products are present in the market and are used by farmers and growers. Inspections take place mainly at whole distribution level. However where there is evidence of possible misuse of plant protection products generated through the residue monitoring programme or from any other source, specific inspections at end-user level take place. There was no evidence of misuse of plant protection products uncovered during two unannounced inspections conducted by officers of my Department on the premises of the mushroom farm at the centre of recent allegations.

Penalties involving fines of up to €5,000 and or 6 months imprisonment can be imposed where evidence of misuse is uncovered, at the discretion of the courts.