The future of the regional veterinary laboratories (RVLs) has been placed in the hands of a new advisory board, representing the wider Department of Agriculture.

Membership of the Laboratory Services Advisory Board (LSAB) includes the director of laboratories but also representatives of other sections of the Department, including the chief inspector, the chief veterinary officer and senior staff with responsibility for trade, HR and related areas.

At its first meeting at the end of March, the LSAB drew up its own terms of reference and sent them to Minister Michael Creed for approval. These include continued development of the lab services, alignment with wider objectives of the Department and implementation of agreed recommendations of the strategic review of the RVL service.

Closure

Staff opposed to rationalisation claim that the terms of reference will result in closure of regional labs – unless Minister Creed changes them by specifying support and investment for RVLs.

These staff have also reacted with concern to a proposal by the Department to stop farmers dropping in carcases for post-mortem at Backweston, Co Kildare.

Recently, Minister Creed said in the Dáil that this was because of proximity of the Department’s newly built High Containment Laboratory (HCL) to the post-mortem laboratory. The Department was considering establishing an alternative drop-off point for carcases, he said.

RVL staff say this could have been avoided if the HCL had been built further away from the post-mortem lab, as they had called for. The HCL will be used for research into exotic diseases of animals, which will include handling of live viruses.

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Full coverage: RVLs review