Concerns are growing over Ireland's ability to monitor food safety after officials admitted its control system had been weakened during the recession.
Senior personnel in 38 state agencies working for the Food Safety Authority of Ireland claimed that a government-imposed recruitment embargo had forced a reduction in their policing of the sector. In a new survey, more than 40% admitted the recession and cutbacks had "impacted negatively" on the food safety controls for which they were responsible.
The survey was released at a conference in Dublin to mark the 10th anniversary of the FSAI. Its chief executive, Professor Alan Reilly, acknowledged a ban on civil service recruitment had resulted in a reduction in the number of planned inspections this year, and that the food sector's ability to police itself had been affected by staff cuts.
"It does put us in a weakened position and as time goes on we are likely to get weaker still," he admitted. The best way to tackle the problem, he suggested, was to reassign staff, re-examine priorities and target resources accordingly.
But he warned that the recession should not be used by food producers or regulators to allow standards to slip as Ireland needed to protect its standing on world food markets.
Over the years, Ireland had developed "a sophisticated food safety inspectorate team" that was considered world class, he said. The sector had an annual output of some 20bn, employed more than 100,000 and was responsible for more than 8bn in exports while it cost only 10m a year for the FSAI to meet its obligations, he added.
Senior personnel in 38 state agencies working for the Food Safety Authority of Ireland claimed that a government-imposed recruitment embargo had forced a reduction in their policing of the sector. In a new survey, more than 40% admitted the recession and cutbacks had "impacted negatively" on the food safety controls for which they were responsible.
The survey was released at a conference in Dublin to mark the 10th anniversary of the FSAI. Its chief executive, Professor Alan Reilly, acknowledged a ban on civil service recruitment had resulted in a reduction in the number of planned inspections this year, and that the food sector's ability to police itself had been affected by staff cuts.
"It does put us in a weakened position and as time goes on we are likely to get weaker still," he admitted. The best way to tackle the problem, he suggested, was to reassign staff, re-examine priorities and target resources accordingly.
But he warned that the recession should not be used by food producers or regulators to allow standards to slip as Ireland needed to protect its standing on world food markets.
Over the years, Ireland had developed "a sophisticated food safety inspectorate team" that was considered world class, he said. The sector had an annual output of some 20bn, employed more than 100,000 and was responsible for more than 8bn in exports while it cost only 10m a year for the FSAI to meet its obligations, he added.
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