Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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236. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the timeline for finalising a veterinary health certificate with AQSIQ to allow beef access to China; the expected date for an inspection visit by the Chinese certification and accreditation administration to approve individual processing plants for export; if this will take place in 2017 or 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22583/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I was very pleased to welcome Minister Zhi of AQSIQ to Ireland last month as a follow-up to our negotiations in Beijing last September. China is now such an important partner of Ireland on agri-food issues and they are our third largest trading partner in this sector. Irish Agri-food exports to China have increased from approximately €240 million in 2012 to €780 million in 2016, a three-fold increase.

Signing the Beef Protocol on the export of beef from Ireland to China with Minister Zhi marked another major milestone in the process of getting Irish beef exported to China. It is the culmination of five years of intensive political, technical and diplomatic engagement with the Chinese authorities. The Protocol sets out the obligations of the Department in trading beef with China.

In order to complete the process to allow Irish beef exporters access to the Chinese market a veterinary health certificate with AQSIQ must be finalised. This is the document which would accompany the actual consignment of beef.  Some of the criteria that will need to be in the certificate are already set out in the Protocol.

This will be followed by an inspection visit by the Chinese Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) to approve individual processing plants for export.

The conclusion of this process is regarded by my Department as a matter of the highest priority and is currently being progressed in conjunction with the Irish Embassy in Beijing. Ultimately, however, the timeline for the finalisation of these arrangements is a matter for the Chinese Authorities.