Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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299. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to safeguard the free range status of poultry farmers, in terms of labelling requirements, after 17 March 2017 in view of the restrictions currently in place due to avian flu; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11053/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The EU Regulations which lay down detailed rules regarding marketing standards for eggs and poultrymeat including minimum requirements that must be met in order to use the term “Free Range”, including rules around access to the range, also provide for situations where veterinary restrictions are imposed to protect public and animal health, as is the case currently in Ireland, whereby eggs and poultrymeat may continue to be marketed as “Free Range” for the duration of the restriction but not for more than 12 weeks.  In Ireland, the 12 week period expires on the 17th of March 2017.

Cognisant of the specific impact of the expiration of the 12 week period on the marketing of free range eggs and free range poultrymeat, DAFM have engaged in consultations and invited feed-back from stakeholders, including producers, processors, retailers and their representative organisations on labelling requirements after the 17th March 2017. 

The Department now intends to write to all free range egg and poultrymeat producers to advise them of procedures to follow and on the necessary actions to be undertaken to comply with the marketing standards regulations should the housing restriction remain in place after the 17th March 2017.  The Department have produced a guidance note on the marketing of free range eggs and poultrymeat in the event that the housing restrictions continue beyond 12 weeks and this will issue to all free range egg and free range poultrymeat producers without delay.

The decision to maintain the Avian Influenza (Precautionary Confinement of Birds) Regulations 2016 is subject to regular review by officials in my Department.