Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have a few quick-fire questions with little comment. I thank the three sets off witnesses who are here this evening to answer our questions. I have gone through all the submissions. We have been discussing this topic for four years, so much of it is not new. I want to elaborate on two points from the ICOS submission and then bring the others into the equation. Of all the groups to appear before the committee in the two sessions this evening, ICOS is probably the only group involved in importing as well as exporting. I ask the ICOS witnesses to elaborate how we will be affected on the import side. The conversation seems to be dominated by our exports, but what complications might arise affecting imports?

The ICOS submission stated that the erosion of the UK consumer spending power would have a major impact. I ask all three organisations how they see that. Even in the best-case scenario, the UK does not come out of this smelling of roses. We all know that the consumer shops with their purse. They used to say the housewife, but we need to be careful with that now. It is the housewife or the house husband who shops and I cannot even mention the purse. They shop with their available housekeeping and their disposable income. If this does not go well for the UK, what contingency plans are in place regarding the type of product, and in the case of MII the type of cut, we export? The type of cut or the part of the carcase that is being sent to the UK may change. The bestseller over there now may not be the bestseller in future if the consumer does not have the same disposable income.

While this is not directly Brexit related, it may help us with increasing markets. I ask the representatives of MII to comment on protected geographical indication, or PGI, status. How might having that status help meat companies to explore new markets or maintain the ones we have?

We have had much conversation about live exports and issues with lairage for calves. Have MII members ever considered sending calves on the hook as opposed the hoof? Could we possibly get into the veal side of things from a processing point of view? It may solve some of the problems we have with live exports if it went out on the hook as opposed to the hoof.

I ask the ICOS representatives to elaborate on part of its submission. The Northern Ireland protocol aside, ICOS seems to believe there may be an issue in the small print of existing free trade agreements between the EU and third countries which may see Northern Ireland product as a third country product. While with the Northern Ireland protocol we are trying to maintain an all-island approach and milk will be able to cross the Border as far as we can see, the ICOS submission has suggested there may be a problem in the small print of existing third country FTAs which may not recognise the Northern Ireland milk or product as EU product. They may see that as third country input and that could have consequences for existing FTAs the EU has. I ask the representatives of DII and ICOS to comment on that.