Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 November 2018
216. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of civil servants by grade who are specifically allocated to work exclusively on market access; the number that work on market access exclusively for each of the beef, dairy, lamb, pig meat and poultry sectors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46451/18]
View answerOne of my key priorities is to further increase the market opportunity for Irish food and drinks internationally. Market development is a key component of Food Wise 2025, and is particularly important in the context of Brexit.
My Department’s market access effort includes work at political, diplomatic, and technical levels. The work of staff right across the Department is central to this effort. Veterinary, inspection and administrative staff involved in the protection of public and animal health, the provision of laboratory services and the certification of exports, are directly involved in supporting the department’s efforts to access new markets, for example through the provision of critical information to competent authorities in third countries, the facilitation of inspection visits by third country officials, or the agreement of export health certificates.
This wider effort work is co-ordinated by a team of 14 people working specifically on market access and the identification of technical barriers to trade across a range of commodities and livestock. Furthermore, my Department has appointed agricultural attachés to embassies in Beijing, Washington, and Abu Dhabi, specifically to provide support to our trade development efforts in these critical third country markets. It keeps the locations of such appointments under review in line with the market opportunities in these regions.
My Department also funds the operations of Bord Bia and works closely with other Government Departments and agencies to increase the global footprint of Irish food, including by leading multi agency trade missions.
I will continue to keep these arrangements under review to ensure that resources are optimally deployed and that our efforts to develop the global footprint of the Irish food sector are effective.
