Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 July 2004
110 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position with regard to Ireland’s trade in beef with Saudi Arabia; and if Saudi authorities will lift their BSE-related ban on Irish beef. [20097/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince the Saudi ban on EU beef was imposed late in 2000, every effort at political, diplomatic and technical level has been made to have that market reopened to Irish beef. Our persistence in these efforts resulted in a visit to Ireland by a Saudi veterinary technical delegation in March of this year to assess our public and animal health safety procedures. In May, the Saudi delegation was unable to recommend the resumption of trade. Since then, my Department has made a further submission to the Saudi veterinary authorities seeking to overturn their decision. I met His Royal Highness, Prince Turki Al Faisal, the Saudi Ambassador to the UK and Ireland who undertook to do whatever he could to have the Saudi decision reconsidered.
My Department, together with the Department of Foreign Affairs and An Bord Bia, will continue to press the Saudi authorities to have this ban lifted.
