Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 351: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that partially sighted persons find it difficult to read labels on food products due to font size and colour contrast; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that the relevant regulations only require labels to be legible; if she will assess the situation with a view to initiating a review of the relevant EU regulations to cater for the needs of the partially sighted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9958/07]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Most of our food legislation — including food labelling legislation — derives from our obligations as a Member State of the European Union.

The EU food labelling regime is being reviewed at present and my Department, in its input into this process, has suggested that the possibility of introducing bar codes for the visually impaired might be explored. This was in the context of the general principle that food labelling should be easy to understand, clearly legible and not obscured in any way.

A legislative proposal from the Commission is awaited; however, Ireland cannot pre-empt the outcome of the Commission's ongoing review.