Vol. 411 No. 1
253 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he intends to increase the production, promotion and availability of pure Irish butter including butter which meets the standards of Irish organic farmers and growers.
All Irish butter is subject to stringent quality control by my Department and must meet the standards of Irish creamery butter before marketing. These standards are among the highest in the world and there are no separate standards for organic butter.
As domestic consumption currently accounts for less than 10 per cent of Irish butter production, an increase in production would not be appropriate. The many positive and natural attributes of butter are promoted on a generic basis by the national dairy council and there are indications that there has been an upturn in butter consumption this year.
