Ollie Wilkinson (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

Legislation is well advanced and it is expected to be enacted soon. This will require hotels, restaurants, pubs and all those involved in catering to provide their customers with information on the country of origin of the beef they are serving. While labelling of beef is already compulsory at retail level, it has not been mandatory in these sectors. The drafting of the subsidiary beef regulations is well advanced and consultation with the Department of Health and Children and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland is under way on the details, including enforcement. While the regulations will have to be submitted to the EU for approval, it is hoped this process will not delay the making of final regulations.

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