- Funding Programme
- Year
- 2021
Implementation and embedding a reform programme for the better regulation of food in Ireland
The Commission helped to made a comparative review of the current state of policy, institutions and regulations, including a gap analysis of the Irish agro-food sector and the elaboration of a programme governance plan, a change management plan and a digitalisation plan to boost the effective implementation of a current medium term set of objectives defined in the Food Safety and Food Authenticity Programme.
The focus of this project was the role of the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, its internal structures and procedures, and its interaction with the other organisations, entities, and agencies, which are critical to Ireland’s food safety and food authenticity system.
Context
Ireland has a strong food safety and food authenticity system and has developed a detailed Food Safety and Food Authenticity (FSFA) strategy. Recognising the evolving developments in food safety and given the Irish Government’s commitment to remain as a world leader in this area the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine sought technical support in the implementation of its Food Safety and Food Authenticity strategy.
Support delivered
As part of this project an initial As-Is report was completed which included a review of existing datasets, as well as wider resources and competencies. An analysis of the current Governance structures in place to support the implementation of the FSFA strategy was also undertaken. Benchmarks of EU good practice in Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden were examined.
These countries were chosen due to their robust food safety systems as well as having similar geographic and economic conditions to Ireland. A Change Management Plan was developed to support the next phase of the implementation of the FSFA strategy.
The To-Be assessment represents an analytical description of the required ‘ideal state’ future framework. Finally, a digitalisation plan for an integrated IT system for food safety and food authenticity activities including indicative costs and timeframe for development was also produced.
Results achieved
As part of the Governance Plan proposals have been made to strengthen the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine’s structure and further support implementation of the Food Safety and Food Authenticity Programme. 4 pilot projects were also undertaken to implement various recommendations of Phase I of the Food Safety and Food Authenticity Programme.
The work done by the providers highlights the need for ongoing investment in skills, the benefits of streamlined harmonised processes, and the requirement for enhanced stakeholder engagement. A key area identified was the importance of having a unified approach to risk management and the need for increased use of data analytics to enhance risk analysis and inspections.
Findings also confirm the critical role of co-ordination of communications. The analysis demonstrates a strong business case for the implementation of a Digitalisation Plan.
More about the project
You can read the final report here: