Written Answers Nos. 86-88
86. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that labelling and traceability regulations applicable throughout the European Union in respect of product originating within the Union or outside continue to be observed in the spirit and the letter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43472/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Minister for Health has overall responsibility for general food labelling legislation but my Department plays an important role in the labelling of food together with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). Under EU law primary responsibility for the safety and traceability of food placed in the market place lies with food business operators. The role of my Department is to verify compliance by the food business operators with this requirement. Regulation (EC) No. 178 of 2002, which sets out the general principles and requirements of EU food law, stipulates, among other things, that food business operators at all stages of production, processing and distribution within the businesses under their control must ensure that foods satisfy the requirements of food law. Specifically in regard to traceability, the regulations require that food business operators must have systems in place to be able to identify any person from whom they have been supplied with a food. They must also have a system in place to identify the other businesses to which their product has been supplied. In other words a food business operator at each and every stage in the food chain must be able to identify the source of its inputs as well as having details of the first recipient of its output. This is commonly referred to as the “one step forward one step backward” traceability system.
My Department has a permanent veterinary presence at all its approved slaughter plants. Controls at stand-alone secondary processing plants are carried out at a frequency which is based on an annual risk assessment for each plant. An annual audit of imported products is carried out in each Department approved meat plant. The audit includes physical identity, labelling and documentary checks. This includes product originating both in EU Member States and third countries. In addition, labelling and documentary checks form part of the routine checks conducted by Department officials.
Rules on the labelling of meat and meat products are laid down in EU legislation. For beef, the current rules require compulsory origin labelling, with place of birth, rearing and slaughter specified.
In 2011 , the European Union passed a new Council Regulation on Food Information for the Consumers (FIC), Regulation 1169/2011, which will be implemented by way of EU Commission implementing regulations and has updated the requirements for consumer information and labelling in a number of areas , including :
- country of origin or place of provenance including the origin labelling for meats other than beef (that is swine, sheep, goats and poultry),
- voluntary labelling of all foods and
- the mandatory labelling of meat as an ingredient.
The import of products of animal origin from third countries is governed by a comprehensive and robust legislative framework laid down at EU level, controlled by EU Member States in the first instance, and audited by the European Commission’s Food and Veterinary Office, to ensure compliance with all of the relevant food safety standards. The legislation imposes a series of health and supervisory requirements, designed to ensure that imported products meet standards at least equivalent to those required for production in, and trade between Member States.
Import controls on products of animal origin arriving from third countries must be performed at an EU Border Inspection Post approved for that category of product being presented.
Consignments for import requiring veterinary checks must be notified in advance to the Border Inspection Post of import and presented on arrival for checks with all the appropriate documentation. Border Inspection Posts in Ireland are operated by my Department. The import controls procedures on products of animal origin are highly prescriptive and strictly audited by the FVO to ensure compliance. Reports of the findings of inspections are published on the FVO’s website.
87. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he is satisfied that dairy production here will not suffer in the aftermath of the abolition of quotas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43473/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, Ireland strongly supports the abolition of the milk quota regime , on the basis that quotas were widely regarded by all concerned as a brake on the potential of the Irish dairy sector to respond positively to market opportunities. The ending of milk quota regime represents an exceptional opportunity for the dairy industry to increase milk output and, as a result, the industry has set itself a target, under Food Harvest 2020, of increasing milk production by 50% in the period to 2020. This will result in increasing the 2008/2009 average annual milk production of 5bn litres to 7.5bn litres in 2020. Consequently I am satisfied that dairy production in Ireland will not suffer in the aftermath of the abolition of quotas Since the publication of the Food Harvest 2020 Report , my Department has been providing a range of supports to assist farmers in exploiting the potential for expansion and development. Through a combination of Departmental supports and the work of Teagasc, AHI and ICBF, significant advances have been made over the last four year in improving efficiencies, education and training at farm level. In that time some 7,000 Irish dairy farmers (c.40%) have participated, to varying degrees, in knowledge transfer programmes, delivered through the medium of Discussion Groups. These programmes were aimed at encouraging efficiency gains on dairy farms through changing attitudes and improving technical, financial and scientific knowledge, as well as skill levels at individual farm level.
Notwithstanding the recent softening of prices for dairy products on world markets and the consequent reduction in farm gate prices for milk, the general consensus among forecasters in this area is that increasing incomes and globalisation of diets are expected to raise the demand for milk and dairy products in developing countries and an increasing import demand will support prices of dairy products during the next decade. Ireland is well placed to take advantage of this increased trade and the removal of quota restrictions will allow the necessary increased production.
88. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he is satisfied that beef producers here are likely to receive a fair price for their product, with particular reference to the need to strive towards a price to producers similar to that in the adjoining jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43474/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, questions of price are ultimately matters to be determined between the purchasers and the sellers of cattle. It is neither appropriate nor possible for me or any other Minister for Agriculture in the EU, to intervene directly on these issues. Indeed, the new Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has emphasised this point again in recent days via correspondence directed to my Department. Cattle prices are determined by supply - demand dynamics which are in turn influenced by a range of different factors such as consumer preferences, distance to market, consumer confidence, retail promotions, competition with other meats and the overall macroeconomic situation. Nonetheless, it is vital that farmers are sufficiently remunerated for producing quality animals. My role as Minister for Agriculture is to create a policy support environment that will allow the beef sector to flourish in line with normal market principles.
In the recent budget, I announced a total package of approximately €74 million for the beef sector in 2015, including a provision of €52 million for a proposed Beef Data and Genomics Programme which will place Ireland at the leading edge globally in the use of genomics in beef production. The current Genomics Scheme is being further developed and enhanced as part of a 6-year RDP measure which, once approved by the European Commission, will deliver a payment per animal of €100 for the first ten animals, with the remaining animals being eligible for an €80 payment per animal in participating herds. In 2014, I have brought forward a number of initiatives to help the sector, including the creation of the Beef Genomics Scheme with a budget of €23 million in 2014. I have also ensured that the budgets of the Beef Data Programme and the Beef Technology Adoption Programme are retained at €10 million and €5 million which, when added to residual payments under the Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme, amounts to an investment of €40m in 2014.
I have also been proactive in securing new market opportunities for Irish beef with Japan, Lebanon and Philippines opened in the last 12 months and significant progress in the US and Canada where I expect Irish beef to be landing on supermarket shelves sometime soon. In addition I made a major breakthrough in China last week where I secured the agreement of the Chinese authorities to send a formal inspection team to Ireland within the next month.
I will continue to engage with both farmers and processors to ensure that the market operates in a fair and transparent manner. Improved transparency has been delivered through the development of a Beef Pricewatch App which was developed by Department and already has 17,000 users. The App presents a range of up to date price information in a user-friendly fashion and is available free of charge to farmers and others interested in this information. The feedback from the users to date has been extremely positive and my Department is already giving consideration to adding new features over time.
