Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The objectives of the negotiations with the United States for a transatlantic trade and investment partnership are to eliminate tariffs, to solve existing regulatory barriers and to work to avoid the imposition of regulatory barriers in the future.

As regards market access, the US is a key market for Ireland in the agrifood sector. It is the fourth most important country destination for our exports after the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Irish exports of agrifood and beverages to the US were valued at €518 million in 2012, having grown from €406 million in 2010 to €478 million in 2011, a 28% rise in two years. We imported €192 million in agricultural products from US in 2012, comprising mainly animal foodstuffs at €99 million, food preparations valued at €28 million, live animals valued at €15 million, fruit and vegetables at €13 million and beverages, including wine, at €11.6 million. In this context, the opening of trade negotiations provides significant opportunities for the Irish agrifood sector to increase its access to the US market. There are also advantages to be gained in terms of possible reductions in tariffs on the products we import.

The negotiations will also facilitate the elimination of a series of regulatory barriers and irritants to current trade. These include the system employed by the US for management of import licences in the dairy sector and the dairy import assessment charge applied by the US to imports of dairy products from the EU.

Of course Ireland also has defensive interests. I will be monitoring the negotiations closely to ensure that, for example, any additional market access granted to the US does not impact on sectors which are sensitive for Ireland, notably the beef sector.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

On 4 November, I welcomed the decision by the United States Department of Agriculture to lift the "BSE Rule", which was announced on 1 November 2013. This ban on the importation of beef from the European Union had been in place since 1997 andits ending was one of my priorities when I visited the US last year where I pushed the matter strongly with US Department of Agriculture Secretary of State Tom Vilsack and in meetings with US Senators.

The publication of the new regulation is a critical first step in accessing the US market and my Department has been preparing for the event for some time with officials working to address specific veterinary requirements demanded by the US. Last week one of my Department's senior officials visited Washington and held high level meetings with USDA officials with a view to advancingthe various technical requirements to ensure commencement of the trade at the earliest possible date.

As regards the impact of an EU-US agreement on the broader EU, I do not believe there is a risk that it will lead to the industrialisation of EU agricultural production. The EU model of agriculture, based on family farms, is still very much at the core of EU agricultural policy. This was again reaffirmed by the Commissioner and EU Council of Agriculture Ministers at the informal meeting of agriculture Ministers in Vilnius at the beginning of September.

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