Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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553. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there is co-equivalence in organic certification standards between Ireland and Britain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25670/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK), which entered into force on 1st May 2021, establishes a reciprocal recognition of equivalence of the current organic legislation and control system of both parties to that agreement.

The co-equivalence for certification standards is applicable to products that are unprocessed agricultural or aquaculture products produced in the United Kingdom or processed agricultural products for use as food or feed that have been processed in the United Kingdom with ingredients that have been grown in the United Kingdom or that have been imported into the United Kingdom in accordance with United Kingdom laws and regulations.

An exception to the above is currently in place and relates to organic feed for pigs and poultry from Northern Ireland. Some 95% organic feed for pigs and poultry is allowed of all age, is currently in place for a maximum of 12 months, from 24th February 2023 until 23rd February 2024. This exception is not allowed in the EU.

The TCA will be reassessed at the end of this year taking into account the new EU rules for organic production which came into force on 1st January 2022.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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554. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of flour imported from Britain, separately organic and non-organic, in each of the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25671/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Trade Control and Export System (TRACES) is the European Commission's online platform for sanitary and phytosanitary certification required for the importation of animals, animal products, food and feed of non-animal origin and plants into the European Union, and the intra-EU trade and EU exports of animals and certain animal products. The importation of organic flour is tracked through TRACES as organic produce requires a Certificate of Inspection (COI) .

Figures are currently available for 2023, 2022 and 2021 with country of Origin as UK only.

Data on Organic flour is available from 2021 to date as from the 1st January 2021, the Certificate of Inspection on TRACES was issued for each import from Great Britain into the EU, and presented to the competent authority before custom clearance.

Prior to Brexit, the UK applied the rules of the Single Market and the Customs Unions and therefore no Certificate of Inspection was required.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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555. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his proposals to increase the promotion of Irish organic flour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25672/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Bord Bia is the state agency responsible for the marketing of Irish organic produce and are currently building on their activities in the organic sector through targeted development and promotional activity.

On 22nd May 2023, my colleague Minister of State Pippa Hackett announced that €1 million Brexit Adjustment Reserve funding has been allocated to promote and develop the growing Irish organic sector. The Department has been working in partnership with Bord Bia and will continue to identify further opportunities for Irish farmers and processors to grow their organic presence and increase market share through this funding.

There will be a national consumer campaign launched in Autumn 2023 which will promote Irish organic food, drink and horticulture to domestic consumers. All organic categories will be supported and the purpose of the campaign will be to inform Irish consumers that Ireland is on a journey in organic production and there will be more Irish organic food available in the months and years to come.

Bord Bia has a suite of supports and services, including marketing assistance programme grants, that can be accessed by client companies to support their growth ambitions.

The financial supports of the Organic Processors Investment Grant (OPIG) which is worth €1.7mn announced last week and the supports under the Organic Farming Scheme can increase the level of cereal production in Ireland and develop the processing capacity to satisfy demand for organic flour in Ireland.