Veterinary. Laboratory. Service. Bacteriology/ Parasitology. Division. Pathology Division. Virology. Division. Central Meat Control.

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Blake Nelson
9 years ago
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2 01 Veterinary Service 02 Bacteriology/ Parasitology Division 03 Pathology Division 04 Virology Division 05 Central Meat Control 06 Dairy Science 07 Pesticide Control Service 08 Seed Testing

3 Now leave the check in reins slack The seed is flying far today The seed like stars against the black Eternity of April clay To the Man After the Harrow by Patrick Kavanagh

4 Mary Coughlan Minister for Agriculture & Food Tom Moran Secretary General Department of Agriculture & Food One of the main objectives of my Department is to ensure the safety of Irish food and to maintain the high animal health status of the country. The Service is vital to ensuring this role is fulfilled for the benefit of consumers and the entire agri-food sector. The consolidation of all of the main laboratories of my Department in the laboratory complex at Backweston will enhance the ability of the Service to continue to meet it s commitments. This consolidation brings together in one state of the art campus all of the main diagnostic, regulatory and research and development functions necessary for this role. Not alone does the Backweston Complex represent a critical piece of infrastructure for the agri-food sector but it will allow the service expand its operations to meet the demands of the new market oriented environment in which the sector now operates. A huge amount of planning has gone into ensuring that the transfer would occur smoothly and with minimum disruption. In this regard, I would particularly like to thank all of the staff involved for their dedication and sheer hard work during the transfer to this wonderful complex. Not only did they succeed in meeting the ongoing commitments of their respective laboratories during the preparations for the move and throughout the transition period following the transfer of the laboratories but they also made a huge contribution to the development and design of these purpose built laboratories. The Services of the Department of Agriculture and Food play a hugely important role in assisting the Department to meet it s objectives. They lend support to many of the other Divisions of the Department and, in addition, provide a service to the food industry, veterinary practitioners and the general public. The fundamental work of the laboratories is as varied as it is important. Legislative based, regulatory testing, forms the primary work of the Central Meat Control, Pesticides, Dairy Science and Seed Testing Laboratories; while the Veterinary Service has a diagnostic, surveillance and research and development role also. The opening of the new laboratory campus at Backweston and the restructuring of our Services with the appointment, for the first time, of a Director of Laboratories with responsibility for all strands of the Services will allow the laboratories to make an even greater contribution to its stakeholders. 1

The consolidation of all of the main laboratories of my Department in the laboratory complex at Backweston will enhance the ability of the Service to continue to meet it s commitments.

5 Welcome! Dr. Michael Gunn Dip Ag Sc, MVB, CBiol, FIBiol, PhD, MRCVS Director Service, Department of Agriculture and Food The laboratory service is an essential component of the role of the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFs) in leading the sustainable development of a competitive farming and consumer focused agri-food business, which contributes to a vibrant rural economy and society. The Backweston Complex has been developed to provide a laboratory infrastructure to support the diagnostic, regulatory and research and development functions necessary for this role. The laboratory service consists of a central laboratory complex at Backweston together with a number of regional laboratories located throughout the country. The Backweston complex has brought together a number of different laboratories having a variety of functions in the one building. The laboratories involved are the: Central Veterinary Research laboratory (comprising the divisions of Bacteriology, Pathology, Virology and a Audit Unit), Central Meat Control (CMCL), Pesticide Control Service Seed Testing Laboratories and Dairy Science. The first four laboratories moved to Backweston from the Holmpatrick Estate at Abbotstown, Castleknock, Co Dublin while the Dairy Science has moved from Harcourt Terrace in Dublin 2. In addition to the Backweston complex, six Regional Veterinary Laboratories, (whose primary work is in disease diagnosis and surveillance) located at Athlone, Cork, Kildare, Kilkenny, Limerick and Sligo, a Brucellosis in Cork and two regional Dairy Science laboratories at Limerick and Cork complete the laboratory service. The last few years have involved a large increase in workload and disruption for staff moving to Backweston due to planning for, and eventual relocation of the laboratories from a number of sites, to the custom-built site that is shared with the State. As part of this process staff have collaborated with the Office of Public Works, Architects and building contractors to ensure that suitable buildings for the range of testing being conducted in the various laboratories were constructed. It was also important that the construction of the laboratories would allow for future developments likely to be required to meet needs associated with client requirements and technological developments. 2

Agriculture and Food (DAFs) in leading the sustainable development of a competitive farming and consumer focused agri-food business, which contributes to a vibrant rural economy and society.

6 The hard work involved for everyone has resulted in a state of the art laboratory complex that has the capacity to serve the agri-food industry well into the future. 3

40.1 Reduce funds for operations. State General Funds ($249,348) ($249,348) ($249,348) ($249,348)

40.1 Reduce funds for operations. State General Funds ($249,348) ($249,348) ($249,348) ($249,348) Section 13: Agriculture, Department of Athens and Tifton Veterinary Laboratories The purpose of this appropriation is to provide payment to the Board of Regents for diagnostic laboratory testing, for veterinary