Martin Blake

Martin Blake is the Chief Veterinary Officer with responsibility for animal health, animal welfare, veterinary public health and food safety policy areas of the department – the One Health, One Welfare area.

Responsibilities also include operational controls across these areas and extending to animal by-products, veterinary medicines, border controls regarding imports of animals and products of animal origin and certification to support of exports of animals and products of animal origin to existing and new markets.

He is assisted in these responsibilities by the Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Paula Barry Walsh, Director of Operations, Michael Sheahan and Director Rob Doyle.

Divisions

Ruminant Animal Health - Head of Division - Eoin Ryan

This Division is responsible for the development of policies to eradicate bovine tuberculosis (bTB), maintaining and protecting Ireland’s brucellosis-free and enzootic bovine leukosis-free status, ensuring marts, dealers and assembly centres operate to the highest standards of animal health and welfare and that veterinary policies relating to animal identification, premises registration and movement systems support and improve animal health and welfare, traceability and food safety.

Veterinary Medicines, Anti-microbial Resistance, Animal By-Products and TSEs – Head of Division- Paul Corkery

This Division is responsible for protecting animal and human health by ensuring proper utilisation and disposal of animal by-products and through the monitoring, diagnosis and control of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. The division also has responsibility for regulating of the supply and use of veterinary medicinal products and implementing measures to address the risk posed by Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

Veterinary Export, Certification and International Trade - Head of Division - Lorna Meaney

Responsibilities of this Division include achieving Third Country trade access for Irish produced products of animal origin and to maintain existing international markets. Commodities include livestock, livestock products, pets, poultry, horses, dairy products, animal feed, germinal products and animal by-products. Barriers to market access and trade are identified and contributions are made for their elimination. The Division also facilitates and regulates transport arrangements in respect of live animals. The Division also host and lead trade missions and actively monitor & positively influence EU trade negotiations. The division also has coordination responsibility for the EU TRACES IT system (Trade Control and Expert System) which supports SPS certification into the European Union, and for intra-EU trade and EU exports of animals and certain animal products.

Veterinary Public Health, Pig and Poultry Health – Head of Division - Avril Hobson

This Division has responsibility for setting policies and standards relating to food safety, engagement with standard setting forums in EU and internationally, liaison with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland as well as managing the contractor staff required to assist in the delivery of the food inspection system. It also has responsibility for animal health matters in the intensive poultry and pig industries, including the national Biosecurity Strategy. The division also has responsibility for the Veterinary Support Coordination Unit.

Animal Identification and Movement – Head of Division - Vacant

The Division is responsible for the development and implementation of the identification and tracing systems and ancillary activities for bovines, equines, pigs, sheep and goats in accordance with the requirements of the EU and national legislation applicable to each species

Milk & Meat Hygiene – Head of Division - Bernie Brennan

The responsibilities of this Division include maintaining a comprehensive approval system for foods of animal origin businesses, and animal by product related businesses, a robust collection system for fees for various Departmental services, promotion of the clean livestock policy, supporting research learning and development to maximise value of animal by products and related derivatives, contributing to development of enhanced controls in knackeries/collection centres and the effective coordination of TSE policy/administration framework.

Animal Health and Import Policy – Heads of Division - Paul McKiernan

Animal Health and Import Policy is responsible for promoting, achieving and maintaining the highest standards of animal health; enforcing the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013; ensuring the movement of correctly certified animals into Ireland takes place in a manner that minimises the risk of disease;. The division is also responsible for Border Control Post Policy, Animal Health Horizontal Policy, General Coordination, Non-Farmed Animal Health, Animal Health Ireland Programmes and North South Coordination.

Import Controls Operations – Head of Division - Hazel Sheridan

This Division is responsible for consolidating and coordinating DAFM’s work in implementing import controls across the manned ports and airports in Dublin, Rosslare and Shannon. Checks are carried out on products of animal origin, live animals, plants, plant-based products and other objects in order to maintain the integrity of human, animal and plant health, as well as biodiversity within the single market.

National Disease Control Centre – Head of Division - June Fanning

This Division is responsible for the National Disease Control Centre (NDCC) which manages the response to any exotic disease. The division also has responsibility for Animal Health Surveillance, Equine Health, One Health Scientific Support Unit and One Health Emergency Preparation & Response.

Business Systems & Co-ordination – Head of Division - Stephen Fitzpatrick

This Division is responsible for developing and coordinating business systems and IT supports for all the Divisions in the One Health, One Welfare business area.

Animal Welfare – Head of Division - Patricia Reilly

This Division is responsible for promoting and safeguarding animal welfare, as well as Ireland’s ability to trade animals and animal products internationally by safeguarding the welfare of animals and regulating and supporting live ruminant trade

Veterinary Public Health Operations – Head of Division - Peter Maher

This Division is responsible for ensuring that the highest standards of food safety are achieved for the products with regard to slaughter activities in approved meat plants, all meat products produced in both Ready To Eat (RTE) and Non RTE Food Businesses, cold-stores storing meat or meat products, meat reparation plants e.g. minced meat, wild game , egg plants and all liquid milk plants.

Veterinary Area Management Teams (North and South) – Heads of Division – Jarlath O’Connor, Eilís O’Brien

These Divisions are responsible for the operational delivery of a comprehensive suite of animal health (including disease eradication programmes and emergency response for exotic diseases), animal welfare, and food safety control programmes which underpin the safety and integrity of the food chain, and facilitate the trade in live animals and products of animal origin. These operations and are delivered through the network of regional veterinary offices around the country.

ERAD/Veterinary Medicines Division – Head of Division - Colm Forde

This Division is responsible for the development and management of the policy framework for the Bovine TB eradication programme, the protection of consumers of Irish food and the health and welfare of animals by providing for effective regulation of the Irish veterinary medicines market and by overseeing the implementation of the National Residue Control Plan which tests for the presence of illegal residues in food-producing species.