Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020
34. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of plans for specific designation EU protected geographical indication, PGI, status for Irish beef; the status of the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33289/20]
View answerPGI status was an opportunity to develop a premium price suckler beef product but the goal of the meat industry was to shoehorn as much beef as possible into the PGI label.
Now the farm organisations have disappointingly bought into that approach. I believe this approach is the final nail in the coffin of the suckler beef industry here and contradicts the motion that was accepted by the House, last September 12 months, to have a distinctive Irish suckler beef brand.
I thank Deputy Naughten. At the most recent meeting of the beef task force which took place on 22 October, stakeholders agreed in principle to support an application by Bord Bia for protected geographical indication, PGI, status for Irish grass-fed beef. The beef task force also agreed in principle that a PGI monitoring group with a majority of farmer representation would be established to report on the progress of the task force on a regular basis. My Department has completed the remaining necessary steps in this process, including issuing responses to those who have submitted oppositions to the Department during the national opposition procedure and publishing the final document on the issue to the European Commission. The final document reflects changes arising from concerns raised during the national opposition procedure, including clarification that a two-hour transport limit to an abattoir is not a requirement and that farmers can transport their own cattle.
At the time of submission of the application to the EU, I intend to raise the following two issues with the Commission. First, I will make the point that grass-fed young bulls should be included when further data on this cohort are available to support this, thereby reflecting strong views from some stakeholders received through the opposition procedure. Second, reflecting discussions with my counterpart in Northern Ireland, I will advise the Commission that Ireland would support the PGI being extended on an all-island basis when a grass-fed verification system is in place in Northern Ireland as well.
The EU procedures provide for detailed scrutiny of the application and publication of an EU opposition procedure. If there is a satisfactory outcome to the EU scrutiny and no oppositions are received, it is hoped that, all going well, the application will be progressed for registration of a protected geographical indicator. If successfully registered, PGI status will assist Ireland in further communicating the characteristics and reputation of this quality product in line with the programme for Government commitment to work at EU level for the development of a protected geographic indicator for Irish beef. PGI status has the potential to improve the marketing position of Irish beef at a time when it is badly needed.
I have no doubt it will improve the marketing position but that will only benefit the processors and not the primary producers. I am not sure how successful this application will be because the only ones promoting suckler beef are the European Commission itself and, disappointingly, not Bord Bia or the Irish Government. On 22 September, the Minister gave me a reply to a parliamentary question in which I had asked how much Bord Bia was spending on promoting Irish suckler beef. The Minister could not give me an answer on that. He indicated that Bord Bia has submitted an application for a three-year EU co-funded programme to promote suckler beef with a value of €3.2 million. The Minister has announced a €6 million budget for promoting a suckler beef brand. How much of that will be made up of EU money?
Unfortunately, the application for European funding has not been successful. The Deputy knows well from previous debates in this House the absolute commitment I have to suckler beef and to ensuring it is promoted. Working with the beef task force on this agreement, I have committed to ensuring that €6 million of Government funding will go towards developing a suckler brand for the first time and supporting and backing it up. That is alongside the submission of the PGI for Irish grass-fed beef to the European Commission. I remind the Deputy that there was agreement among all the farming organisations within the beef task force on taking this approach, which I very much welcome because it is important we all work together to make the most of our beef product and ensure we give it every chance to be promoted abroad, to get a premium price abroad and, importantly, to ensure it is translated back to farmers' pockets for the hard work they do.
To be clear, I record my objection. I may be a single voice in this regard but it will not benefit Irish farmers and it had the opportunity to do that. The Minister is giving €6 million to Bord Bia, an organisation that advised the Minister's predecessor that suckler beef did not have a resonance in Europe and yet was able to apply for EU funding because it was not prepared to put its hand into its own pocket. Unless this State-developed brand is done in conjunction with a State-developed and State-controlled block chain for Irish beef, I guarantee the meat industry in this country will do its utmost to undermine at every hand's turn a distinctive suckler beef brand. Can the Minister give a commitment that we will have that block chain control?
This is something we have discussed before and I am certainly willing to explore all avenues to add value to Irish beef and add income to the farmers who produce it. I am sure the Deputy will recognise this is the first time that we have seen funding specifically put towards the suckler brand and it is to the tune of €6 million. That is something I am committed to and I am glad the farming organisations also are committed to it. We have come together in partnership towards promoting it. I assure the Deputy that it will be followed through on and we need to work together to develop the brand and to ensure it is marketed appropriately and developed fully. I commend all the farming organisations on the massive effort they put in working with the beef task force and its chairman on coming to this conclusion. It is important there will be a farming majority on the oversight committee for the PGI brand going forward. It is important that farmers have that control and oversight.
