Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 26: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if her attention has been drawn to the fact that consumers are facing an imminent 15% rise in the price of chicken due to the escalating cost of wheat and soya protein due to the drop in supply of wheat because of ethanol production droughts in Australia and poor wheat harvests in Europe; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30089/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The increase in the price of animal feed being experienced by Irish farmers over the last twelve months has impacted significantly on poultry enterprises and in line with the increased costs of production, an increase in the price of poultry products is to be expected. The Deputy will be aware that I have no role in setting the level of retail poultry prices.

I have, in recent times, worked with my EU colleagues, both at Council and bilaterally, to put in place steps aimed at improving the situation and ameliorating some of the difficulties being caused by the increased cost of inputs. These steps include a suspension of the obligation to set 10% of arable land aside and the EU Commission is also examining ways of synchronising the authorisation process for Genetically Modified feedstuffs between the EU and the US, to try to improve the efficiency of these arrangements.