Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will comment on the level of food and drink imports from the UK in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22035/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Based on CSO provisional statistics, Bord Bia estimate that the value of food imports (excluding live animals) from the UK declined by six per cent in 2009 from €2.4billion euro to €2.3billion euro, by contrast with an increase in 2008 of almost 20%. In volume terms, imports did increase in 2009, primarily due to the weakness of sterling. Almost half of these imports would be classified as "prepared foods" by Bord Bia, which together with beverages principally contain processed foods ready for retail sale, in contrast to some of the other categories where the imports are for further processing here. Beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) accounted for €369 million of imports in 2009, showing a decline of eight per cent in euro terms. This followed considerable growth in 2008, and the level of imports remains at a higher level than in 2007.

These figures do not include imports by smaller traders who are not obliged to report their imports or by households who might have purchased groceries for personal consumption in Northern Ireland. On the export side, while the UK remains Ireland's largest trading partner and recent currency development are more conducive to this trade, diversification of food and drink exports, including expansion of exports to eurozone countries, has improved. For example, markets for Irish beef are being established in the major premium supermarket chains in the EU and new marketing initiatives, including the Bord Bia Marketing Fellowships and Marketplace Ireland 2010, are identifying opportunities for companies to do more business within the eurozone.