Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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675. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department is accepting submissions from the public on the network of regional veterinary laboratories; if so, the date from which the consultation has been open to submissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11320/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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My Department commissioned a Working Group led by Prof. Alan Reilly to undertake a comprehensive review of the Department’s Laboratories. The Group has presented a report to the Department, which makes various recommendations for the strategic development of the laboratories. This includes options for the future development of the Department's Regional Laboratories – with a view to improving disease investigative and surveillance capability but with the over-riding imperative of maintaining and enhancing services to farmers.

My Department is currently consulting with all relevant stakeholders. An initial round of internal consultation with staff and their representative bodies concluded last week.  Consultative meetings with local representatives of the main farming organisations were held to coincide with meetings with staff at each of the regional laboratories.  At national level, the Department has written to each of the main farming organisations, other relevant representative bodies and state agencies (who avail of the services and expertise provided by the Department's Laboratories) - providing each with copy of the Working Group Report, inviting comments and offering to meet to discuss their views. It is hoped to convene these consultative meetings over the next few weeks. 

A decision on any of the recommendations will await the outcome of this consultative process. In the case of the Regional Veterinary Laboratories, any decision will also be informed by a cost benefit analysis of the various options that have been proposed for their future development.