Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 17 Feb 1998

Vol. 487 No. 3

Written Answers. - Beef Marketing.

John Perry

Question:

160 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the financial support which will be made available to support initiatives at EU level in the area of beef labelling and promotion that are consistent with consumer requirements, allow the Irish industry to exploit its natural advantage and guard against misleading representations; if he will indicate the amount available to Bord Bia to promote beef and lamb on the home market and also Northern Ireland where a company (details supplied) is promoting non-Irish beef; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4169/98]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

Under the European quality beef scheme, approximately 26 mecu will be made available by the European Union this year for the promotion of quality beef and to underpin the new EU regulation on the labelling of beef. The main objective of the European quality beef scheme is to promote beef on a generic basis as a quality product. The new regulation on labelling is designed to ensure the accuracy of claims made about the quality or origin of beef.

Bord Bia has been recently allocated a grant of just over £1 million under this scheme for the promotion of high quality and value-added meat products in key European markets.

I have already expressed concern about the difficulties being experienced by Irish beef exporters on the European market as a result of the renationalisation of that market following the BSE scare of 1996. I am particularly concerned about developments on the UK market and am in the process of meeting the major UK multiples to discuss the situation. I have recently asked Bord Bia to prepare a strategy as a matter of urgency to enable Irish beef exporters to recover market share in these markets and I have also held discussions with the beef industry and with farm organisations about the funding of that strategy. No final decision will be made on the funding until the Bord Bia strategy has been approved.