Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 December 2019
540. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress to date of the recently established beef taskforce; the timeline for the completion of commitments given to the taskforce; the steps he is taking to implement the measures proposed by this Deputy and unanimously adopted by Dáil Éireann on 26 September 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53371/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have established a Beef Taskforce to provide the leadership to develop a sustainable pathway for the future of the beef sector in terms of economic, environmental and social sustainability. The Taskforce will provide a robust implementation structure for commitments entered into in the Beef Talks Agreement, with timelines and stakeholder engagement. A number of issues raised by the Deputy in the motion referred to are covered in the Agreement. Furthermore, the Beef Taskforce will offer a suitable platform for strategic engagement with key stakeholders, including retailers and regulatory authorities.
There is a specific webpage on my Department's website dedicated to the Beef Taskforce at https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/farmingsectors/beef/beeftaskforce/. This webpage contains the agreement reached on 15 September, the Terms of Reference for the Taskforce and updates on actions arising out of the 15 September Agreement.
The first meeting of the Beef Taskforce took place on 3 December. Minutes and update reports from that meeting will be published on the webpage this week. The next meeting of the Beef Taskforce will take place on 9 January.
