Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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284. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will introduce a market access unit in his Department solely dedicated to seeking out new markets for the agri-food sector and the cost of this. [46308/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Various actions in the Food Wise 2025 strategy relate to market access and the personnel needed to assist in the identification, development, reinforcement and securing of new third country markets. For example in 2016 my Department, Bord Bia and Enterprise Ireland will explore synergies and priorities for the deployment of human resources in specific markets, including possibilities for relocation, new posts and new offices based on market prioritisation which considers various factors.

In response to the increased focus on the export potential of the agri-food sector, a Trade Team was established in February 2011 in my Department.  This inter-disciplinary team brings together the expertise of veterinary, technical and administrative personnel in my Department as well as Bord Bia and the other relevant agencies. The purpose of the Trade Team is to provide a coherent and unified approach to market access, in terms of identifying and resolving technical barriers to trade, prioritising markets and growing exports.  The new Food Wise 2025 strategy includes overall growth projections for the agri-food sector for the next decade, including an increase in exports of 85% to €19 billion by 2025. Exports in this sector in 2014 amounted to €10.45 billion.

In addition, the following markets have been opened or reopened for Irish products: 

2011

Turkey: Market opened for beef and live cattle

Singapore: Market opened for beef

Tunisia:Market opened for live cattle

Egypt: Veterinary Certificate agreed for beef and market opened for live cattle

Ukraine: Market opened for breeding pigs

China: Market opened for breeding pigs

Serbia: Certificate agreed for meat products

Chile:Certificate agreed for bull semen

Canada: Certificate agreed for fresh pig semen

UAE: Market opened for bovine semen

2012

Singapore:Veterinary Certificates agreed for sheep meat

South Africa:Veterinary Certificates agreed for sheep meat

UAE:Veterinary Certificates agreed for sheep meat

Morocco and UAE:Veterinary Certificates agreed for poultry meat and poultry meat products

China:Agreement secured on exports of boarfish

Iran:Market opened for beef

UAE:Removal of age restriction on beef exports

China:Agreement secured on export of horse feed

China:Agreement secured on export of porcine semen and export certificate agreed

China:Agreement secured on export of horses direct to China

Hong Kong:Health certificate agreed for export of fishery products

Serbia– Veterinary certificate agreed for fresh/frozen pigmeat

2013

US: Initial positive steps taken to reopen the market to beef

Japan:Market opened to beef

UAE:Market opened for sheep-meat

Libya:Market opened for livestock

Australia:Market opened for pig-meat

Iran:Market opened for beef

GCC:Ban lifted for beef and sheep-meat

Canada:Market opened for Sheep-meat.

China:Market opened for Salmon

Russia:Access permitted for meat products previously excluded.

Azerbaijan- Agreement on veterinary health certificate for finished meat products

2014

Lebanon– Agreement on export of meat/meat products of bovine origin

Lebanon– Agreement on export of meat/meat products of ovine origin

Lebanon – Agreement on export of cooked meat/meat products of bovine and ovine origin

Hong Kong– Agreement on veterinary health certificate for the export of sheep-meat

Namibia – Agreement on veterinary health certificate for fresh/frozen meat of bovine, ovine and caprine origin

Philippines– Agreement on veterinary health certificate for the export of beef

Philippines – Agreement on veterinary health certificate for the export of sheepmeat

Philippines– Agreement on veterinary health certificate for the export of pigmeat

Vietnam– Agreement reached on the export of pigmeat

New Caledonia– Adoption of veterinary health certificate for the export of fresh meat and meat products of bovine origin

2015 (to date)

US:Market opened to Irish beef

China:Market opened to Irish beef