Vol. 539 No. 1
53 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the efforts which are planned or under way to re-open markets closed to Irish beef arising from the BSE outbreaks in continental Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18490/01]
The majority of our non-European markets have been closed to Irish beef exports as a result of the BSE crisis in Europe late last year. The task of recovering those markets is based very much on a restoration of confidence in the safety of our product and, with that in mind, my Department has been in ongoing contact or in correspondence with the relevant authorities in those countries which have been significant markets for Irish beef to point out to them the level and effectiveness of the controls in place in Ireland. While every effort, both directly and through diplomatic channels, is being made to re-open third country markets to Irish beef and livestock, it is, however, clear that a restoration of exports to those markets is linked to an easing of the concerns about BSE at EU level.
Egypt is our largest market for beef and much of our effort in recovering export markets has been focused on Egypt. I and senior officials of my Department travelled to Egypt last December and met with the Egyptian authorities in Cairo in an effort to secure restoration of this market for Irish beef. The Taoiseach also spoke with Egyptian President Mubarak on this matter. Further visits to Egypt were undertaken by officials of my Department this year and I also took the opportunity last month to raise the matter with a visiting Egyptian ministerial delegation.
Another important market is Saudi Arabia and a senior veterinary official of my Department travelled last January to Riyadh to brief the authorities there on our BSE controls. Senior officials of my Department are in Egypt and the Gulf region this week following up on earlier contacts with the relevant authorities there with a view to the restoration of these important markets. Arising out of ongoing contacts between my Department and the Egyptian authorities, it has been agreed that a delegation of Egyptian veterinary officials will travel to Ireland in early August. I remain hopeful that following that the market can be reopened.
I am satisfied the Egyptian and Saudi authorities have a full appreciation of the low level of BSE in Ireland, the way in which it is dealt with and the effectiveness of the many layers of controls and checks that are in place. However, in many of our non-EU markets, and Egypt is a good example, the situation has been exacerbated by adverse public opinion as a result of sensationalised media reporting on BSE and, in particular, on the BSE developments in those EU countries which encountered their first cases last year.
The situation with regard to Russia is that the authorities there have lifted the total ban on Irish beef imposed following the single outbreak of FMD in Ireland last March. The earlier Russian ban on six named counties remains in place. My Department is finalising the details of the veterinary certificate required by the Russian authorities with a view to the early resumption of this trade.
