Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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936. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the progress and the plans around the Sligo regional veterinary laboratory (RVL); when works will be completed; the plans for the variety of services that will be available at the RVL; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24219/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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My Departments network of Regional Veterinary Laboratories provides critical surveillance and diagnostic animal health services that underpin herd health management and supports the viability of the farming community in Ireland.

My Department has proposals to deliver new facilities that will replace the existing facilities on the current sites in both Kilkenny and Sligo and to enhance the existing facility in Athlone. In addition to this, the plan proposes a new specialist laboratory centre at a site in North Cork to amalgamate and replace our current facilities in Cork and Limerick.

The wider programme also includes provision of five new Transfer-to-Laboratory (TLC) centres in the North-West, North-East, South West, Mid-West and West which, when completed will extend the provision of post mortem & ancillary diagnostic services nationwide, so that 98% of our farming community are within 1 hour of a diagnostic centre or dedicated transfer centre.

The pace of implementation will depend on the extent of capital funding made available through the normal estimates process.