Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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709. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to actively pursue a voluntary all-Ireland agrifood label which would be of benefit to farmers North and South of the Border. [21308/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland has been a strong proponent of origin labelling as a means of providing consumers with clear and transparent information about the food they consume, including as regards the origin of that food. It is important to state that the rules on origin labelling are determined at EU level and require a label to state the Member State where the animal was reared and slaughtered. They do not operate on a regional, multi member state or all-island basis.

With regards to Northern Ireland and an all-Ireland agrifood label, my Department has been in regular contact with Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Northern Ireland staff on labelling issues that affect both jurisdictions. With regards solely to beef my predecessor, Minister Coveney, was proactive in supporting the traditional trade of live cattle between the North and South and met on a number of occasions with his counterpart in Northern Ireland, Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA. He also signed a joint letter to the three UK retailers which stock Irish beef asking them to consider a new mixed label for animals born, reared or slaughtered in both jurisdictions on the island. Minister O’Neill also approved a voluntary beef label in Northern Ireland for cattle born in the Republic of Ireland, raised in the Republic of Ireland and/or Northern Ireland, and slaughtered in Northern Ireland. This label would have facilitated the sale of beef from animals born in the South and slaughtered in the North. However no retailers expressed an interest in using this label on their products as there is a commercial preference at UK retail level, for a simple origin labelling process bearing the name of a single country of origin only. It is important to remember that retailers will only make such commercial decisions based on their customers’ needs and preferences and until there is a clear preference for an all-island agrifood label at customer level I do not foresee retailer demand for such labels.

It is important that we continue to monitor the impact of labelling rules carefully. I will continue to work to ensure that mandatory labelling laws provide clear and transparent information to consumers, are practicable, and do not negatively impact on Ireland’s agrifood exports.