Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 299: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the extent to which the full scale of laboratory services envisaged have been put in place at the national laboratory at Backweston, Celbridge, County Kildare; if it is now possible to have all samples tested there and referrals overseas are no longer a requirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43857/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Irish State Laboratory in the Department of Finance and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Laboratories are both located at the Backweston Laboratory Complex. There are seven divisions within DAFF laboratories – Bacteriology, Central Meat Control, Dairy Science, Pathology, Pesticides, Seed testing and Plant Pathology and Virology. While these laboratories are significant contributors to the national laboratory resource they work in association with, at EU level, the Community Reference Laboratories; and within Ireland, the three Public Analyst Laboratories, the Marine Institute, Teagasc Laboratories and a number of other smaller official laboratories to meet DAFF's EU commitments and Ireland's multi annual national control plan (MANCP) obligations, under EU and Irish legislation.

The range of tests required by EU and Irish legislation are extensive, diverse and highly specialised to the effect that some official Irish analytical needs continue to be met by referrals to overseas laboratories.

Notwithstanding this DAFF Laboratories at Backweston continue to introduce new analytical methods and technologies with the objective of meeting a higher proportion of our needs in this area and with a view to minimising our dependency on external laboratories. ^^ Dairy Sector. ^^

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 300: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the steps he will take to address the issues raised by dairy farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43858/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The dairy market has been discussed at Council of Ministers meetings every month since March this year. At these meetings I have, together with my Ministerial colleagues, continually pressed the Commission to take all appropriate measures to deal with the situation, and those supports have helped to stabilise the market. The measures taken this year include the restoration of export refunds for dairy products. Intervention for butter and skimmed milk powder has continued beyond the mandatory fixed limits. In July it was agreed to implement a special measure to extend Intervention beyond August, to February 2010, and to 2011 if necessary. Other short-term measures include streamlining procedures for responding to dairy crises and allowing Member States use milk quota buy up schemes to aid restructuring. The Commission has also proposed to add €300 million to the EU budget for the milk sector for 2010.

At a special Council meeting on the 5th of October Commissioner Fischer Boel proposed the establishment of a High Level Group (HLG) of representatives to consider a range of options for the future, now that it is accepted by Member States that quotas will be phased out by 2015. In specific terms, the HLG will examine medium term and long term ways of stabilising dairy farmer's incomes and improving market transparency and will deliver a comprehensive report by June 2010. I have established a Consultative Group representative of all of the stakeholders to advise me on the issues emerging at the High Level Group. The ideas, knowledge and expert opinion of the Irish dairy sector will provide key perspectives on how the sector needs to be developed and supported into the future.

In July I announced proposals for the spending of more than €200 million on new investment measures in Irish agriculture as part of a revised Rural Development programme. These included the allocation, from unspent Single Payment Scheme funds, of €6 million per annum for the next three years to a scheme to encourage a significant improvement in efficiency on dairy farms. In addition, €45 million has been earmarked for an investment support scheme aimed at helping young dairy farmers to adjust to expanding dairy opportunities and make their commercial operations more cost-effective. Details of both of these schemes are currently being drawn up by my Department.