Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 120: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the initiatives he plans to introduce to safeguard employment in the poultry sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44075/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The main challenge facing the indigenous Irish poultry industry is competition from imports of fresh poultry from other EU countries. Under single market rules unrestricted volumes can be traded between Member States and, for various reasons, they are very competitively priced. The primary outlet for Irish-produced poultry is the fresh retail trade where Irish product is still dominant. The Bord Bia Poultry Quality Assurance Scheme is a recognised quality mark in that market and the Bord has been very active in growing and enhancing the scheme over the years. In addition to the Quality Assurance Scheme, assistance is available from Enterprise Ireland for certain types of activities undertaken by poultry processors.

Labelling continues to be an issue for the sector. I believe there should be country of origin labelling on all meats and my Department has been in extensive communication over the past year with the European Commission with a view to making such labelling compulsory. While the Commission adopted a negative opinion in relation to our proposal for national legislation, I will continue to press for country of origin labelling in the context of the Commission's proposal for a new regulation on food information. The Department of Health and Children is the lead Department for that proposal and my officials remain in contact with it on this issue.

I have also asked the Poultry Expert Group to reconvene so that it can review its recommendations in the light of developments over the last year and consider what further issues warrant consideration. The Group's 2007 report focused on a range of issues including labelling, environmental protection, welfare legislation and feeding stuffs. A meeting of the Group has been arranged for 9 December.