Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party)
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423. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on his meeting with the Premier of China, Mr Li Keqiang, and other Chinese officials, on 17 May 2015. [20477/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Last year, Irish agri-food exports to China increased to €620 million, making China Ireland’s second most important market, after the EU as a whole. Therefore, a long with the Taoiseach, I was very pleased to welcome Premier Li Keqiang and a large Ministerial delegation, including Minister for Agriculture Han Changfu, on a visit to the Garvey farm in Co. Mayo on 17 May.

This visit represented an invaluable opportunity to demonstrate the best of Irish farming to the Chinese Government. The farm is typical of Ireland’s natural, grass-based, sustainable production systems. It combines traditional values and the best of nature with science and technology, to produce the highest quality food, with three generations of the family working together. It was a wonderful showcase for Irish food production, and I would again like to thank the Garvey family for their enthusiasm and hospitality in welcoming the large delegation to their farm and their home.

During our discussions in the Garvey farmhouse, Premier Li Keqiang was particularly interested in learning more about Ireland’s ‘Origin Green’ sustainability programme, under which farmers and food producers set and achieve measurable sustainability targets, which are independently verified and audited.

Following the bilateral meeting between the Taoiseach and Premier Li in Ashford Castle, Minister Han Changfu and I signed a joint statement on deepening agricultural cooperation, including through:

- the establishment of an Ireland-China Joint Committee on Agricultural Cooperation and

- the development of a Medium-Term Action Plan on Agricultural Co-operation.

Ireland greatly appreciates the lifting of the ban on Irish beef imports by China, which I regard as a powerful endorsement of Ireland’s high standards by an administration for which food safety is a critical prerequisite for trade. In Ashford Castle, Premier Li Keqiang set out the next steps before beef exports commence, which will involve a visit in the near future by a leading official from AQSIQ (China’s quarantine and inspection bureau), followed by a team of experts visiting Ireland for an assessment.

Premier Li Keqiang tasted Irish beef for the first time during his farm visit, and later, in Ashford Castle, gave the following strong public endorsement of Irish beef in his remarks to the press, which will be of huge promotional value when the details of market access are agreed and beef exports commence:

“I want to say that the very high quality and safe Irish beef will turn out to be very popular, I have confidence, among the Chinese consumers”.