Martin Kenny
Question:36. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to remove trade barriers to the live trade to Northern Ireland and Britain in the context of Brexit. [37697/16]
View answerWednesday, 30 November 2016
Questions (36)
Written answers
We are all well aware of the extraordinary challenge facing Ireland’s agri-food sector in the wake of the UK’s decision to leave the EU, given the vital importance of the UK market for the sector. The potential impacts are being given the highest priority by my Department and its agencies, and by the Government as a whole.
My Department has been engaged for quite some time in a wide consultation process with industry representatives, and is continuing to deepen its analysis of the implications of the exit vote. However, it is important to bear in mind that our trading relationship with the UK is not altered in any way until the negotiations that will dictate the terms and conditions of the UK’s departure are completed.
In the meantime, the matter of tariffs and trade - including in relation to the trade of live animals between Ireland and the UK - is one that has been clearly identified by my Department as one of the most significant issues we face, and is therefore the subject of ongoing analysis.
There are significant levels of live export trade between Ireland and the UK, and with Northern Ireland in particular. For example, of the 64,000 live cattle exported to the UK in 2015, 55,000 went to Northern Ireland. In addition, a significant component of the sheep and lambs slaughtered in Irish processing facilities is of Northern Irish origin, and approximately 10,000 pigs per week produced in Ireland are sent to processing facilities in Northern Ireland.
I and my Department are therefore acutely aware of the need to ensure that our unique sensitivities in this area are adequately reflected in the EU-UK negotiations. In this regard, I have been working closely with my Northern Ireland counterpart, Michelle McIlveen, whom I have met on a number of occasions to discuss these issues, most recently at the North South Ministerial Council Plenary meeting in Armagh on 18 November. This close contact at political level is complemented by close cooperation between officials from our two Departments.
In addition, the all-island dialogue with civic society, which began with a very valuable conference in Dublin earlier this month, will be followed by similar events on a sectoral basis over the coming months, including an agri-food dialogue on 15 December, arrangements for which are currently being finalised.
Contact with our counterparts in the UK is also well under way. Senior officials have met on a number of occasions in recent months, and I intend to meet with the UK Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsom, in London, tomorrow.