Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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92. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm that his Department does not know the ultimate beneficial ownership of many, if not all, beef processing plants licensed to operate here and is not concerned to know; in view of this if he will report on how, ultimately, the regulations affecting those plants are enforceable; where there are breaches, if he will indicate where penalties are applied; if there is a real risk to the operation of market forces where plants, seemingly in competition, are in fact collaborating because they are in common, concealed, ownership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42328/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As I stated in my replies given on 18 September and 15^thOctober, the ownership of each beef processing plant is a commercial matter for individuals or companies who wish to invest in the industry. Currently there are 32 beef slaughtering plants approved to export from Ireland to local, EU and third country markets and over 195 local authority approved plants that may export locally or to the EU. The details (names/addresses etc) of all of the approved plants are on the websites of my Department and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). Prices are a function of the market conditions that prevail at a given time. I cannot set the price of beef and neither can any other Minister for agriculture in the EU. There is no evidence whatsoever that department policy or practice contributes to price fixing or cartel practices. Indeed my Department publishes prices for each factory on a weekly basis and last month launched a Beef Pricewatch app, available on phones and other smart devices to increase transparency in relation to beef prices.

With regard to any suspected manipulation of the market, I would again ask the Deputy to bring forward any information or evidence she has in this regard to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission which has been formed through the merger of the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority. The Commission is an independent statutory body that inter aliaenforces Irish and European competition law in Ireland. It does this by taking action against anti-competitive practices (e.g. price-fixing) and by blocking anti-competitive business mergers. The Commission also has a role in promoting competition in the economy by identifying legislative restrictions on competition, advising the Government on the implications for competition of proposed legislation, and by providing general information about competition issues.