Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 October 2019
477. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will request the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission under section 10(4) of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014 to carry out a market study and analysis in the beef market and make recommendations as appropriate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41050/19]
View answerAs an outcome of the recent beef talks, a number of initiatives aimed at increasing transparency along the beef supply chain were agreed in the Irish Beef Sector Agreement of 15th September, which is published on my Department's website.
These included the commissioning by my Department of the following reports:
- An independent review of market and customer requirements, specifically in relation to the four in-spec bonus criteria currently in operation in the Irish beef sector;
- An independent examination of the price composition of the total value of the animal, including the fifth quarter, along the supply chain, and
- a summary of competition law issues as relevant to the Irish beef sector.
In addition, Bord Bia will develop a beef market price index model based on 3 components: cattle price index, beef market price index (retail and wholesale) and an offal price indicator. Teagasc will also review the Quality Payment Grid.
Other relevant commitments in the agreement include:
- additional detailed price reporting on the Beef PriceWatch app;
- examination of transparency models in other jurisdictions; and
- a consultation process on the transposition of the Unfair Trading Practices (UTP) Directive.
Work on these commitments is underway and progress will be reported via the Beef Taskforce, set up to oversee the implementation of the Beef Sector Agreement. The Taskforce is comprised of key beef sector stakeholders, with Michael Dowling as independent chair. The Beef Taskforce scheduled for yesterday, 14 October, was adjourned, as members of the Taskforce were prevented from attending the meeting. It is in the interests of everyone involved in the beef industry that the work of the Taskforce goes ahead. The Taskforce’s remit is to monitor the implementation of the actions arising from the agreement reached on 15 September and offers the most viable platform for strategic engagement with key stakeholders. It was a great pity that farm representatives were not in a position to air the legitimate concerns of farmers at the Taskforce.
Finally, as the Deputy will be aware, any concerns in relation the alleged abuse of a dominant position should be reported to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.
