Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

385. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of full-time and part-time staff working in the dedicated market access unit established within the meat and milk policy division; and the yearly cost of the unit, including staffing costs. [51233/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

One of the Department's key priorities is to further increase the market opportunity for Irish food and drink internationally. This principle of market development is already a key component of Food Wise 2025, but is particularly important now in the context of Brexit.

In relation to meat, this effort is co-ordinated by a dedicated meat market access unit, whose staffing complement has increased in line with my action plan on market access. This unit currently comprises a team of seven people led by an Assistant Principal Officer. The annual cost for staffing this unit, including salary, PRSI, pension and accommodation, is estimated at approximately €500,000. The work of the unit supports a meat industry with exports of over €3 billion.

The meat market access unit works on expanding market access for beef, sheepmeat, pigmeat, poultry and cooked meats across a range of markets, and is also working to simplify certification procedures in a number of markets to which Ireland already has access.

This work involves staff across the department, including veterinary services, laboratory staff, inspectorate staff, Brexit/International Trade Division and a wide range of other divisions, in completing market access questionnaires, facilitating incoming inspection visits, participating in diplomatic meetings, agreeing export health certificates and so on. All of this inter-connected work facilitates the accessing of new markets and the maintenance of existing markets.

My Department has made significant progress in recent years in increasing market access opportunities for Irish meat exports.