Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the recommendations of the consumer liaison panel which her Department has implemented; the recommendations of the consumer liaison panel which her Department has not yet implemented but which will be and when they will be implemented; and the recommendations of the consumer liaison panel which will not be implemented. [40534/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Consumer Liaison Panel was established in January 2002 to strengthen communication between consumers and my Department. A consumer-focused approach is vital to the future of a progressive multi-functional agrifood industry, encompassing not alone the basic function of food production but food safety, food quality, environmental and animal welfare issues. The Consumer Liaison Panel is a standing panel which is briefed on Department activities and provides feedback from a consumer perspective. Since its establishment, apart from giving immediate reaction to the Department on issues of consumer concern such as animal health, agri-environment and food safety, the Panel has commissioned research in two major areas, viz. food labelling and food prices.

During 2002 the Panel recommended an examination of food labelling. As a result my predecessor set up the Food Labelling Group in July of that year. In December 2002, the Labelling Group presented its report containing 21 recommendations covering

General Labelling Rules

Policy and Enforcement

Consumer Education and Awareness and

Origin.

As the recommendations covered issues within the responsibility of a number of Departments and Government Agencies, an inter Departmental/ Agency Group was set up to progress implementation of the recommendations. This Group included representatives from my Department, the Departments of Health and Children, Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, together with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the Food Safety Promotion Board.

While food labelling is a particularly complicated and broad-based area, I am pleased to say that very substantial progress has been achieved in implementing the recommendations of the Report. Nineteen of the twenty one recommendations, many of which were beyond the remit of my own Department and some which were to be activated only after others had been completed, have been addressed. The remaining two recommendations which relate to aspects of origin labelling are also being addressed. In July of this year new regulations were introduced, by way of amendment to the Health Act 1947, which extend the existing beef labelling regulations to restaurants and catering establishments. These new Regulations, which are enforced by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, oblige hotels, restaurants and other catering establishments to provide consumers with clear information on the country of origin of their beef.

The amended Health Act 1947 will also facilitate the extension of country of origin labelling to all meats including poultry meat. I have raised the issue with the EU Commission and am taking every opportunity to press for progress on the matter. I have also raised the issue in the context of the current review of food labelling legislation which is being carried out by D.G. Sanco. Ireland's concerns have been submitted by the Department of Health & Children which has overall responsibility for general food labelling legislation.

In 2003, the Panel expressed its concerns about the lack of transparency on food prices in Ireland and commissioned a study to assess the data sources on the price of food in Ireland and to recommend a model for monitoring the share of the price of key food items absorbed at different stages of the food supply chain. My Department has provided funding for this research and the final report was signed off by the Consumer Liaison Panel in recent weeks. There are no recommendations of the Panel which my Department has not acted upon.