Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 December 2020
668. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the PGI application for grass-fed beef; if the PGI will operate on an all-Ireland basis; if he will proceed with a separate proposal for a suckler beef PGI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43341/20]
View answerFollowing detailed scrutiny by my Department, including a National Opposition Procedure and extensive stakeholder engagement, my Department submitted the application from Bord Bia for a PGI for 'Irish Grass Fed Beef' to the European Commission on 27th November 2020. The specification includes qualifying product from sucker beef herds.
The application will now be subject to detailed scrutiny by the EU.
At the time the application was submitted to the EU, I advised Commissioner Wojciechowski that Ireland strongly supports the PGI being extended on an all-island basis, when a verification system is in place in Northern Ireland.
I wrote recently to my counterpart in Northern Ireland, Minister Edwin Poots, to emphasise that my Department and Bord Bia are ready and willing to further assist Northern Ireland counterparts with the development of a verification system for grass-fed. The scheduling of a joint seminar on this topic is currently under discussion.
Other applications for a PGI for beef are currently being assessed by my Department.
I strongly support extending the PGI application on an all-island basis for the benefit of beef and suckler farmers.
