Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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3203. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department and the HSE will provide funding to allow the charities that provide two soup runs in Dublin to remain in operation if the HSE close down on the foot of a HSE environmental health section report. [40765/21]

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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3213. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to ensure that soup-runs and other voluntary efforts relied on for meals by many homeless persons are not discontinued due to health and safety regulations.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40835/21]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 3203 and 3213 together.

All food businesses must comply with the requirements of food law that are relevant to the business they operate. Regulation (EC) No. 178 of 2002 provides the general framework for the operation of food safety law, and defines a food business as “any undertaking, whether for profit or not and whether public or private, carrying out any of the activities related to any stage of production, processing and distribution of food.” Therefore, operators such as those to whom the Deputy has referred, distributing food to the homeless are food businesses for the purposes of food safety law.

Food business operators are required by law to notify the HSE (or other FSAI Official Agencies as appropriate) of their intention to carry on a food business. The frequency of inspection of food businesses is based on the risk to public health, with risk being assessed on a number of criteria including the types of foods being produced, processed, and distributed, and the vulnerability of the consumers.

The primary responsibility of the HSE Environmental Health Service (EHS) is the protection of public health. It works under a service contract for the Food Safety Authority of Ireland to ensure the relevant food legislation is applied as necessary. This work is essential to ensure that food made available for people to eat is safe. Persons accessing homeless services are among the most vulnerable in our community and may be immunocompromised. There is, therefore, risk of serious illness as a result of any potential food borne infection.

The EHS supervises over 45,000 food businesses and endeavours to work with food business operators to encourage an understanding of the legal requirements and to support compliance with the minimum food safety standards regarding structure, operation, safety management systems and staff training and to ensure compliance with food law where non-compliances are found upon inspection.

The HSE has advised that it does not share any inspection details or outcomes with third parties and cannot comment specifically on any particular food business or inspection. The HSE can confirm however, that the EHS has neither served, nor threatened to serve, a closure order on any voluntary street-based service distributing food to the homeless.

The coordination of services to people who are homeless, including the provision of accommodation and food, falls within the remit of the Department of Housing, the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive and the local authorities.

I recognise the value of voluntary organisations in providing food and other services to people who are homeless. I would encourage these organisations to engage with the relevant homeless authorities to ensure services are provided in accordance with food safety and other regulations.