Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 9 September 2024
1277. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will allocate funding to increase the number of food-trained detector dogs to be based at ports and airports nationwide; and the last time his Department provided funding for this service. [35206/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department continuously reviews its various arrangements regarding import control checks, of which the use of food detector dogs is one important element. Extensive manual checks and scanning equipment are also used at ports and airports to monitor for illegal imports of food products. There are currently no plans to expand the food detector dog service. My Department provides funding on an ongoing annual basis for this service.
