Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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42. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the impact for farmers in County Kildare of the opening of the Chinese market for Irish beef; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18243/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The recent opening of the Chinese beef market to Irish beef is a very positive and significant development for the Irish beef industry, all along the chain from farmers through to processors and exporters. It marks the culmination of a number of years work involving my Department and the Irish Embassy in Beijing, their counterpart officials in China and with the cooperation of the Chinese Ambassador and Embassy in Dublin, Bord Bia and the industry itself.

The beef plants that have been approved by Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA) are in various locations around the country. The beef plants that remain to be approved are also spread across the country. It is not possible to assess the likely impact of a particular market, on an individual county or regional level basis.