Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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444. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline Ireland's preparations in anticipation of its participation in this month's biennial 38th meeting of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in Rome, Italy; the agenda that Ireland will be pressing at the meeting; the agreements Ireland is seeking at the meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29010/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The FAO is one of the largest technical bodies in the UN and is of great importance to Ireland in terms of its work on standardization in relation to agriculture, agreements on global plant and livestock health matters and cooperation in development work. Every two years the FAO organises a conference to agree its multi-year Programme of work, strategy, and budget. This conference also organises seats on the FAO Council (of which Ireland is currently a member) and provides updates on many aspects of its work. My colleague, Minister of State Tom Hayes TD, will attend this important event, along with other EU and global ministers, and will address the Conference as President of the Council of EU Member States.

My officials have been active in preparing for this conference for several months now, co-ordinating the EU’s position and seeking agreement with other countries. Ireland, together with the EU is seeking to ensure that the FAO continues its valuable work and its major re-organization while improving its efficiency and re-focussing its strategy. We will also ensure that gender remains a key cross-cutting measure in all FAO work. The theme of this year’s report on the State of Food and Agriculture is “Sustainable food systems for Food Security and Nutrition.” Ireland and its fellow Member States will support the FAO in continuing to ensure that food security remains at the heart of FAO work and that the role of nutrition in world health is given the prominence that it deserves.