The Food Safety Authority of Ireland is to get £6 million to provide for the scaling-up of its operations next year.
The Minister for Finance also approved finance for the establishment of specialist laboratory facilities to ensure rapid identification of food-poisoning microbes. To ensure health boards have adequate food safety controls, a further £2 million has been allocated by the Government.
The authority is to expand its services on a phased basis from January, notably by providing more extensive education for consumers and the food industry, and introducing a "seamless inspection service".
The specialised laboratory facility will be capable of identifying and banking food poisoning microbes and strains affecting livestock. Until now, samples have had to be sent to Britain for definitive "typing" when an outbreak occurs, though some specialist facilities are now in Galway and Cork.
Quick identification is crucial to controlling spread of infectious microbes, while sending samples to Britain has meant delays in controlling outbreaks.
The plan to provide an "enteric reference laboratory" will be subjected to cost benefit analysis with a view to using experts based in the Republic who have the ability to use advanced techniques for identification of microbes in the best possible way.