Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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257. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which the most modern laboratory facilities remain available to the agrifood business at Backweston, Celbridge, County Kildare, or elsewhere; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21640/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The facilities at the central laboratory complex in Backweston and at regional laboratories are capable of meeting the vast majority of my Department’s analytical and diagnostic requirements.  While DAFM Laboratories have the capability to carry out most of the tests in these areas, for cost efficient reasons, some low volume, highly specialised reference test methods that are periodically required are still outsourced to specialist centres. Examples of the type of tests still outsourced are the phage typing of bacteria and some confirmatory tests for toxins and chemical contaminants.

Amelioration works in one area, the category 4 containment laboratories, are in progress with a view to bringing that laboratory into operation. The building works are expected to be completed by the end of March 2017 and once commissioned for use, this containment laboratory will provide my Department with the additional containment facilities necessary to undertake testing for the presence of exotic animal diseases that may be introduced into Ireland.