Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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796. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if some staff from the meat control division of his Department in recent months to assist with the backlog in pesticide control service, PCS, number applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34575/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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No staff from the meat control division of my Department have been assigned to assist with the backlog of PCS applications.

Prior to the onset of the covid-19 pandemic, a team of four staff routinely serviced the processing of biocidal product registration applications in addition to carrying out a range of other duties within the Pesticide Controls Division.

Since the arrival of the covid-19 pandemic, a number of other staff within Pesticide Registration and Controls Divisions and from across the wider Laboratory area have also assisted with processing biocidal product registration applications on a part time basis in recent months.

This week, further additional staff are being temporarily allocated to the work area.