Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 363: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if her Department has conducted an audit of agriculture policy across all enterprises relative to policy in Northern Ireland; the changes she proposes to policy in the Republic in the context of an all Ireland approach to the industry; and the issues she is pursuing with her Northern Ireland counterpart. [21536/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The co-operation that can take place within the Agriculture sector was laid down in the Good Friday Agreement. The areas specifically identified were animal and plant health. Subsequently the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) agreed that there should be formal co-operation in the following sectors of agriculture: the development of an All-Island Animal Health Strategy for control of animal movements and the prevention, containment and eradication of epizootic diseases in Ireland; the development of an All-Island Plant Health and Research Strategy including co-operation between both jurisdictions in relation to plant protection products; and liaison on issues arising at WTO, EU enlargement and the mid-term review of the CAP.

Co-operation in the development of an all-island animal health and welfare strategy has progressed through the NSMC and by a number of working groups which continued to meet during the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

In recognition of the commonalities of needs and priorities in both parts of the island in terms of implementation of EU Common Agricultural Policy, both Departments continue to cooperate closely on the implementation of CAP reforms. This process involves regular information exchanges, co-ordination of actions, where appropriate and looking ahead to emerging changes to EU rules and to emerging EU policies to develop complementary policy negotiating strategies.

I will be discussing these areas and other topics of interest when I meet with Ministers Gildernew and Foster at the Agriculture Sectoral meeting on 9th November.