Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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284. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he or his officials have raised any concerns at the Beef Forum that the €3 per head incentive payment from meat factories for quality assurance is inadequate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5805/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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During the meeting of the Beef RoundTable on November the 12th, agreement was reached on a wide range of issues impacting on the beef sector, resulting in some 23 outcomes in total. At the subsequent meeting of the RoundTable held last week, there was a general consensus that progress was being made in delivering on the outcomes agreed in November, although further work was required in a number of areas. This was accompanied by a strong commitment from all participants to continue this work. As the Deputy notes, Processors agreed at the November Round Table to a targeted, cost neutral price incentive for all steers and heifers from Quality Assured farms with effect from 1st January, based on consideration of an appropriate mechanism to be agreed by then. Following on from this, Meat Industry Ireland, the representative body for the meat processors announced with effect from 1 January a €3 per head bonus payment for steers and heifers from Quality Assured farms that do not qualify for the current 12c/kg in-spec bonus.

A number of farm organisations believe that a higher bonus payment is warranted, but welcome d the fact that the current 12c/ kg in spec bonus had not been replaced in order to deliver the new bonus payment. This position was noted at the RoundTable meeting last week. This is a commercial matter of course. I have encouraged the processors and farm organisations to discuss any further adjustments to the Quality Assurance arrangements that may be necessary, as appropriate.

The Deputy may also wish to be aware that in addition to focussing on the ongoing implementation of the outcomes agreed at the Roundtable meeting in November, the most recent meeting last week considered the improved beef market position and strategic issues concerning bull beef production in Ireland. The Roundtable tasked a stakeholder group, led by Teagasc, with preparing written guidelines for beef farmers which would act as a blueprint for those currently producing bull beef or those considering developing bull beef production systems, taking into account production efficiency and market dynamics. I also updated stakeholders on progress as regards the development of Producer Organisations in Ireland, a key proposal to emerge from the Roundtable process.

I am confident that with positive engagement from all the stakeholders, the forum can continue to make a significant contribution to the strategic development of the beef sector.