Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1284: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of times since January 2007 members of the MAC have met with their heads of division; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47750/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The members of the Management Committee of my Department engage with their heads of Divisions on an almost daily basis. These contacts can range from formally structured meetings on specific business matters through to informal one-to-one discussions on emerging issues relevant to their areas of responsibility.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1286: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of staff within his Department involved in the monitoring of food safety systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47752/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Department is divided into five main programme areas and the total number of staff working in the area of food, animal, plant safety and welfare and consumer protection amounts to 1898 (full time equivalent). My Department operates under a service contract with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. The sectors included in the contract are:

Meat hygiene

Milk and Milk Products

Eggs and Egg Products

Pesticide Control Service

Border Inspection Posts

Residue Monitoring Programme

Zoonoses Directive

Food Labelling

The number of people (who are included in the above figure) involved directly with this contract is approximately 1,340.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1287: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of staff provided skills training in regard to EU schemes or institutions or negotiations at EU level since 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47753/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Within the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, a strong emphasis is placed on the provision of "on- the-job" training and mentoring of staff involved in areas dealing with EU matters. This method ensures the appropriate levels of knowledge transfer to staff in developing their understanding of EU Institutions and Schemes and frames their understanding of their role in any negotiations they may be involved in the future.

In conjunction with this approach, 168 members of staff have attended training courses on the general structures of EU Institutions, meetings, etc run by the Civil Service Training Centre in this time. In addition, staff from my Department have gained experience of the EU Institutions through working as "National Experts" within the European Commission and seconded to the Department of Foreign Affairs as agricultural attaches in various Member States including Brussels.