Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

466. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views regarding the new labelling initiative being pursued by the Minister for Agriculture in Northern Ireland and supported by the Northern Ireland meat industry and by Irish farmers which would allow for cattle born in the Republic of Ireland, fattened in Northern Ireland and slaughtered in Northern Ireland to be placed on the shelves of the major British retailers; the action he has taken to progress this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42092/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy is aware, there is a commercial preference at UK retail level, reflecting consumer preference there, for a simple origin labelling process bearing the name of a single EU member state only. It must be recognised that this commercial purchasing strategy has facilitated the sale in major UK retail outlets of large quantities of beef from cattle born, reared and slaughtered in Ireland. However, it adversely affects the market for beef from cattle of "mixed origin" such as those traditionally exported to Northern Ireland for fattening and slaughter.

I have been pro-active in supporting this traditional trade and have met on a number of occasions with my counterpart in Northern Ireland, Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA. We have also written jointly to the three UK retailers which currently stock Irish beef i.e. Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys asking them to consider a new mixed label for animals born reared or slaughtered in both jurisdictions on the island. Minister O’Neill has also approved a voluntary beef label in Northern Ireland for cattle born in the Republic of Ireland, raised in the Republic of Ireland and/or Northern Ireland, and slaughtered in Northern Ireland. This label would facilitate the sale of beef from animals born in the South and slaughtered in the North, while ensuring that the "Origin Ireland" label, which serves the Irish beef and other sectors so well, is protected in domestic and EU markets. At this stage the voluntary label has been approved by the authorities in Northern Ireland but, of course, the question of using such a label is now a commercial matter between processors and retailers in Northern Ireland and elsewhere in the UK.

I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to pursue this and other matters with the major retailers. To this end, I invited a representative of Tesco to the Beef Roundtable meeting held last week and a very useful exchange of views took place with all of the stakeholders in the sector. I also recently met with Minister O'Neill and the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC) in Dublin to explore the labelling issue further. In summary, the NIRC advised me that its members have considered the mixed label issue in some detail and have concluded that for the moment they are not prepared to change their labelling policies. The NIRC has, however, agreed to keep the matter under review and I will continue to engage with them in this regard.