Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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76. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the reduction or elimination of import tariffs through an increase in a tariff rate quota under theTransatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13548/15]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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77. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the abolition of the milk quota regime under the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13549/15]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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78. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the Irish agri-food sector under theTransatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13550/15]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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79. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the low cost of production of beef, pigmeat and poultry in the United States of America (details supplied) under the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13551/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 to 79, inclusive, together.

I believe that a trade and investment agreement between the European Union and the United States will be good for Ireland and good for Europe. Such an agreement has, in my view, the potential to enhance growth and increase jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. In the agriculture sector, Ireland has substantial offensive interests. We are keen to increase our access to the American market for dairy products, pig-meat, beverages and food ingredients. Now that we have gained access to the US beef market, we want to grow that trade by securing higher quotas and lower tariffs.

Of course we have defensive interests as well. One of these is our beef sector where we are mindful of the potential of increased imports of US beef to have a negative effect on the economics of EU and Irish beef production, particularly beef from suckler cows. We must ensure that the EU market is not undermined by over-supply and our proposals to mitigate the impact of quotas and tariff cuts are well known to the Commission. These defensive interests should be seen in the light of the current high US beef prices which at least temporarily reduce the US competitive advantage, and the recent opening of the US market to Irish beef, with the favourable prospects for capitalising on this through TTIP by further reductions in beef tariffs and the opening of a quota for the EU. 

On the dairy side, the focus of our expanded production post-quota is on emerging markets in Asia, and indeed the United States, and we do not see increased imports from the US to the EU as a significant threat. There are also significant market opportunities for Irish pig-meat in the United States and it is important that we balance our defensive interests in this sector against the prospects for increasing our exports.

Finally in relation to food standards, it is a prerequisite in these negotiations and a red line for me that imports from the United States must comply with equivalent standards of animal health, welfare and food safety to those observed by EU producers and processors.

We are at a relatively early stage in these negotiations but I am confident that there is sufficient determination and good will to secure an agreement that will be beneficial on both sides of the Atlantic.