Beef Imports.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 October 2005

Tuesday, 18 October 2005

Questions (555, 556)

Paul McGrath

Question:

635 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the amount of beef imported in to the EU and Ireland from Brazil; the measures she proposes to protect the food supply here in view of the recent disease problems in Brazil. [29537/05]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mary Coughlan)

Following confirmation of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in cattle and pigs on a farm in the Eldorado district of Mato Grosso do Sul in the southern part of Brazil, the European Commission presented a proposal on 12 October to suspend imports of de-boned and matured beef from the regions of Mato Grosso do Sul, Parana, and also Sao Paulo.

The Commission extended the scope of the measure to include the region of Sao Paulo on the basis of concerns in relation to the possible movement of animals from the area where the outbreak occurred. The proposal was adopted at a meeting of the standing committee on the food chain and animal health at which my Department is represented. Accordingly beef produced in the affected regions from cattle slaughtered since 29 September 2005 may not now be traded. The measures have immediate effect throughout the EU and are being applied to direct imports of beef by my Department's approved border inspection posts.

I am satisfied that the action taken is the appropriate response to the recent outbreak of FMD in Brazil. I will keep the position under close review in conjunction with the European Commission and other member states. The implementation of this decision will have a very significant impact on exports of beef from Brazil to the EU.

Direct imports of beef from Brazil into Ireland and the EU in recent years amounted to:

	(a)	(b)
2000	2,167t	88,087t
2001	3,335t	101,466t
2002	3,908t	117,160t
2003	5,259t	141,422t
2004	6,588t	169,978t

Paul McGrath

Question:

636 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the amount and country of origin of all meat and meat products imported into Ireland from outside the EU. [29538/05]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mary Coughlan)

The Central Statistics Office is responsible for the collection of statistics in relation to imports of meat and meat products. The following tables, which were compiled from data supplied by that office, set out the details requested by the Deputy. In relation to the tables it should be noted that, in certain cases, the record of import may include the re-import of Irish products that were originally the subject of an export from this country, and, while every effort is made to ensure accuracy, these returns may stand to be adjusted marginally as data is rechecked by the CSO.

Imports of Beef into Ireland: Non-EU Countries

Country of Origin	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	Up to July 2005
Algeria						20
Argentina		59	223	94	64	93
Australia				10
Bangladesh		1
Bahrain		24
Bosnia & Herzegovina				2
Brazil	2,167	3,335	3,908	5,295	6,588	4,645
Canada					2
Egypt		3,891
Iceland		11
Indonesia		163
Japan		375
Namibia			188
Nicaragua		3
Norway			3
New Zealand	1	0		0	18
Poland*					225
Philippines		26	9
Romania				1
Saudi Arabia		340
South Africa		24		0
Syria				10
Thailand				24
Togo	0	0
Uruguay	236	115	666	13
USA		18	0	74		10
Totals	2,404	8,385	4,997	5,523	6,897	4,768

Note: 0 denotes imports of less than 1 tonne.

Source: CSO.

* Member state from 1 May 2004.

Imports of Pigmeat into Ireland: Non-EU Countries

Country of Origin	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	Up to July 2005
Argentina	53	19	5
Australia	0
Bangladesh					1	0
Ivory Coast			4
Canada						0
Chile						232
China	0	4	0	0	24	13
Georgia						1
Hong Kong	0	0		0
Hungary*	7	3	0		0
Iran	0					1
Japan		578		50
Latvia*					330
Lithuania*			7	30	10
North Korea	20	8
Malta			0
Mali	46	2
Morocco			0	2
New Zealand	0
Poland*					88
Romania	1			1	1	3
South Africa		0
Switzerland					63
Thailand				1	0	1
Togo	67	21
USA	71	35	52	16	256	68
Vietnam			0		138	78
Totals	265	670	68	100	911	397

Note: 0 denotes imports of less than 1 tonne Source: CSO

* Member state from 1 May 2004

Imports of Poultry into Ireland: Non-EU Countries

Country of Origin	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	Up to July 2005
Bangladesh		1,401
Bosnia & Herzegovina		318
Brazil	301	934	1,165	1,694	1,729	1,072
Ivory Coast	14			6
Chile	1	20	48	25	51	221
China					1	2
Czech Republic*		0	2
Faroe Islands	0
Gabon			42	0
Gambia			9	1
Georgia				1	2	6
Hungary*	21	40		1
India						2
Israel	74	117	110
Japan		45
Namibia				4
Niger	37				12
Nicaragua	8		208	284	68
Pakistan				11
Philippines			1	0
Poland*				71
Romania				1
Slovenia*				9
Switzerland				24	220	35
Thailand	312	692	1,225	1,191	2,868	2,750
Togo	4	1
Turkey					2	2
USA					0
Totals (provisional)	772	3,568	2,810	3,323	4,953	4,090

Note: 0 denotes imports of less than 1 tonne Source CSO

* Member state from 1 May 2004

Imports of Mutton into Ireland — Non-EU Countries

Country of Origin	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	Up to July 2005
Australia	8	46	70	94	39
Brazil	18			22
China					4
New Zealand	427	380	458	256	629	199
Peru					2
Turkey		198	250	340	85
USA	47
Unclassified					13
Totals	500	624	778	712	772	199

Source: CSO.