Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 224: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he intends to visit China this year following the visit by the Chinese Vice Minister for Agriculture Mr Niu Dun in May of this year. [19351/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Since taking office, I have focused on developing and deepening our trade links and levels of cooperation with China, which is the world's fourth largest food importer and the fifth largest exporter of agriculture produce. With a population of 1.3 billion and with increasing urbanisation and affluence, China offers the Irish agri-food and fisheries sector enormous potential in the future and is already a significant destination for exports of Irish agri-food and seafood products. Last year, Ireland exported over €107 million in food, seafood, beverages, forestry products and wool to China, as well as a further €95 million worth to Hong Kong. China can play a key role in fulfilling the ambitions of the Food Harvest 2020 strategy in terms of increasing export value in the agri-food sector.

The recent visit in May this year of the Chinese Vice Minister, Mr Niu Dun was a very successful one, which culminated in the signing of an Action Plan between the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and the Irish Department of Fisheries and Food on mutual co-operation between the two countries in the agri-food and fisheries sectors. The visit and the Action Plan, has led to the deepening of relationships between both countries, between Vice Minister Niu Dun and myself and Minister McEntee and between our respective officials. Ultimately, I would envisage that this would result in a greater understanding of, and confidence in, the integrity of our respective food safety and veterinary control systems, through the proposed sharing of expertise in areas of food safety, veterinary health, animal husbandry and the seafood sector. As part of the Action Plan, it is also proposed that there would be an exchange of specialist personnel between our respective administrations and that Chinese officials could also undertake specialist courses in Ireland in food safety, veterinary public health and animal husbandry.

During the visit of the Chinese Vice Minister for Agriculture, Mr Niu Dun to Ireland, he kindly extended an invitation to me to visit China. I would hope to be able to visit China before the end of the year but this will of course be contingent on agreeing a date that is mutually convenient and of course having regard to any national demands at that time.