Mr. Michael Maloney:

The Senator asked about poultry. I focused on dairy and beef because they are our largest schemes. However, we have quality assurance schemes across the board. At farm level, we have schemes for poultry, eggs, pigmeat, and horticulture. We are in the process of converting the schemes from our traditional quality assurance schemes to sustainability assurance schemes. Our beef and dairy schemes have been converted to sustainability assurance schemes and they are fully accredited by the Irish National Accreditation Board. Our egg scheme has just got over the line to be converted as well. We are in the process of converting the poultry and pig schemes but that process takes time because the conversion has to be done with input from key stakeholders. We cannot, therefore, change schemes and impose them. Under the rules of accreditation, which are important because they are recognised internationally, we must involve stakeholders. We want to do that anyway because the schemes are for them. The technical committee on the poultry scheme has met a number of times and we expect that the scheme will be converted by June or July this year. A total of 95% of the poultry produced in Ireland is processed under our existing quality assurance schemes and it is a similar scenario for pig production. While the number of producers may be much smaller than the number of beef or dairy farmers, almost 100% of the product is covered.

The Senator also raised the issue of the concern relating to imported product being chopped up and relabelled. There is concern about whether the consumer is being misled when the product is sold with a tricolour on it. We can speak for the 95% of the product that is processed in Ireland under the Bord Bia quality assurance scheme. If it is produced under the scheme, it can carry the Bord Bia quality mark, which has "Quality Assured" and "Origin: Ireland" on it. One will see that on all the products that come through under the scheme in supermarkets.

That means that the product was born, reared and slaughtered in Ireland. At over 90%, consumer awareness of the quality assurance mark is extremely high. We have carried out quite a bit of research with consumers because all of our advertising in the home market is very much based on the quality assurance mark. We encourage consumers to look for it and know from where products come. They are the messages we send and they are getting across to the consumer. As I said, there is very high consumer awareness of the quality assurance mark and what it stands for. It stands for quality but also origin, as consumers understand. The message we are driving home is that they should look for it. If a consumer is concerned and wants to support what is produced from start to finish in Ireland, he or she must look for the quality assurance mark.