Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

279. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount spent on a piece of equipment called maldi-TOF in the regional veterinary laboratory at Backweston facility; when this piece of equipment was purchased; if it is in daily use; the number of samples tested on it on a daily basis; if full time staff are working on the instrument; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10944/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Following an open tender process, conducted on behalf of my Department by the Education Procurement Service, under the auspices of the OGP, a Maldi-TOF instrument was purchased from Cruinn Diagnostics Ltd at a cost of €229,900 plus 23% VAT in November 2015. This is inclusive of a five year service contract ( 20/11/2015 – 20/11/2020). The instrument was installed and commissioned in early 2016.

The Maldi-TOF was purchased to provide rapid, low-cost typing of bacterial isolates; it is primarily used by staff based in Bacteriology Division at Backweston. As the initial priority was using the instrument in support of typing isolates from regulatory programmes the focus was directed towards having the technology validated and accredited for this purpose. It is hoped that accreditation of the method will be achieved during the accreditation assessment scheduled for the coming months.

A number of staff have been trained and use this instrument routinely for typing Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli and mastitis pathogens as well as isolates from some other diagnostic submissions. It is not used daily as samples are batched for processing. Over 3,500 samples were processed during 2016.

A research assistant is currently being recruited to help further application of the Maldi-TOF in processing isolates from pathological material sourced from regional laboratories. This is expected to advance rapidly in the coming months.

Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

280. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to any perceived problem at the Dublin regional veterinary post mortem facility at Backweston; if so, the costs spent to remedy it; his plans to remedy same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10945/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department will begin operating a High Containment Laboratory in May 2017. The Laboratory will operate to the highest attainable international standard.  In keeping with best international practice in the operation of such facilities the Department will control access to the Backweston site. In addition and to avoid any perception of risk for persons who have daily contact with farmed animals, alternative arrangements are being considered for farmers who wish to submit carcases of farmed animals for post mortem examination at Backweston. The simplest and most cost effective option will be to provide a drop off point at an adjacent premises owned and operated by the Department. However consideration is also being given to the possibility of establishing a carcase collection point at a location further afield as this would have the added advantage of providing greater ease of access to the diagnostic service and encouraging further voluntary submissions for surveillance purposes.