Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 12 Dec 2000

Vol. 528 No. 1

Written Answers. - Food Imports.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

78 Mr. Durkan asked the Taoiseach the value, quality, quantity and variety of food and food products currently imported; the food involving meat or meat extract; and the countries of origin. [28647/00]

The Taoiseach

The information requested by the Deputy is given in the following tables. The tables give import details for the year 1999 and for the period January-August 2000. August 2000 is the latest month for which information is available.

Imports of food and food products

	1999			Jan-Aug 2000
	£000	Tonnes	£000	Tonnes
Meat and meat preparations	189,330	89,512	146,506	85,094
Dairy products and birds' eggs	221,034	454,996	153,082	280,065
Fish crustaceans, molluscs and preparations thereof	71,382	25,069	51,607	16,598
Cereals and cereal preparations	340,099	995,377	235,619	609,325
Vegetables and fruit	368,866	514,743	255,965	356,643
Sugars, sugar preparations and honey	103,862	343,567	70,124	212,251
Coffee, tea, cocoa, spices and manufactures thereof	174,888	64,917	113,877	45,254
Feeding stuff for animals (excl unmilled cereals)	266,201	2,243,368	181,088	1,403,820
Miscellaneous edible products and preparations	153,857	104,955	103,845	66,418
Total	1,889,517	4,836,504	1,311,712	3,075,467

Imports of food made from "meat and meat preparations"

	Jan-Dec 1999			Jan-Aug 2000
	£000	Tonnes	£000	Tonnes
Beef and veal	9,501	4,780	8,264	3,850
Edible offal of bovine animals	223	396	166	218
Other meat and offal of bovine animals	4,686	2,549	4,630	2,211
Mutton and goatmeat	2,955	1,489	2,230	1,116
Edible offal of mutton and goatmeat	28	25	96	128
Pigmeat	45,471	22,158	40,190	16,873
Other meat and offal of swine	13,772	7,711	8,635	4,065
Poultry (including offal)	60,090	33,390	50,557	46,447
Other meat and offal of poultry	41,781	12,062	22,894	6,765
Sausages etc. of meat, offal or blood	6,058	2,674	4,991	1,817
Other meat and offal n.e.s.	4,765	2,280	3,854	1,604
Total	189,330	89,512	146,506	85,094

Imports of food made from "meat and met preparations" classified by country of origin

	Jan-Dec 1999			Jan-Aug 2000
	£000	Tonnes	£000	Tonnes
Belgium	4,839	1,761	7,463	2,761
Denmark	12,626	5,864	9,168	3,447
France	10,053	4,442	9,466	3,467
Germany	7,113	2,829	5,654	1,937
Great Britain	75,765	37,329	52,875	24,921
Northern Ireland	34,357	18,139	21,344	10,453
Italy	5,221	2,531	2,925	1,169
Netherlands	31,101	12,374	28,765	10,097
Other EU	3,204	1,571	2,213	983
Total EU	184,279	86,840	139,873	59,235
Rest of the World	5,051	2,672	6,633	25,859
Total	189,330	89,512	146,506	85,094

The Taoiseach

Since the Freedom of Information Act came into effect on 21 April 1998, my Department has received 469 requests, up to 30 November 2000. The breakdown is as follows:

1998	82
1999	207
2000	180

Statistics: 21/04/98 – 30/11/00:

Granted	155
Part-granted	98
Refused	60
No records	81
Transferred	36
Withdrawn	19
On-going	20

Requests are received in my Department and processed in accordance with the legislation laid down by the Act. The implementation of the Act in my Department is kept under ongoing review.