Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 144: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the action she is taking to ensure that all third country beef is properly labelled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26215/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Beef imports into the European Union from third countries must have been sourced, first, in countries and, second, in premises currently listed and approved by the European Commission and which are subject to veterinary audits by the EU's Food and Veterinary Office. In addition, such imports are subject to checks laid down in the harmonised rules prescribed at European level, and must be accompanied by the prescribed veterinary health certification from the competent authorities in the country of export. We have comprehensive beef labelling regulations at EU level which apply to all beef produced within the Community and imports from third countries. Where beef is imported into the Community from a third country that beef must, at a minimum, be labelled as "Origin: non EC" along with an indication of the third country in which the slaughter took place.

My priority in this area is to extend the existing beef labelling laws to require information on the country of origin of beef to be provided to all consumers in the restaurant and catering sectors. I put specific proposals to Government at the end of June for a legislative framework to facilitate this, by way of an amendment to the 1947 Health Act. This will be introduced under the Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005 which is before the Oireachtas this session. The appropriate regulations are being worked on concurrently and it is my intention to have these cleared at EU level as soon as possible. When the Act is amended and the regulations made, country of origin information will be available to consumers in respect of all beef served in restaurants, hotels and the whole catering sector in Ireland on a mandatory basis.

In the meantime, the various representative bodies including the Irish Hotels Federation, the Restaurants Association of Ireland and both of the vintners groups, following discussions with my Department, have all agreed to recommend to their members the introduction on a voluntary basis of a mechanism for providing consumers in their premises, with information on the country of origin of the beef served there, in advance of the mandatory legal requirement. This agreement was finalised last week and these organisations are currently at various stages in that process. I expect the voluntary system will be in place in the very near future.

During the discussions with the industry representatives, it was stressed that the information on the origin of the beef served or supplied on their premises must be clearly displayed at the point of consumption, either on the menu or on a poster, chalk board or similar display so that it can be easily read and clearly understood by all consumers. The information must include all countries from which the premises is sourcing its beef and all statements of origin have to be verifiable and be capable of linkage with the delivery records to the establishment.

These requirements are enforced by the relevant authorities at border inspection posts and, within Ireland, by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, FSAI.