Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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182. 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 in the meat and milk policy division by staff grade in tabular form; and the annual cost of the unit, including staffing costs. [23027/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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One of my key priorities is to further increase the market opportunity for Irish food and drinks 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.

The work of staff across the Department impacts on market access and development. This includes veterinary services, laboratory staff, inspectorate staff, Brexit/International Trade Division, Meat and Dairy Policy Division and others, in completing market access questionnaires, facilitating incoming inspection visits, participating in diplomatic meetings, agreeing export health certificates and so on. All of this closely inter-connected work facilitates the accessing of new markets and the maintenance of existing markets.

In relation to meat, this effort is co-ordinated by a dedicated meat market access unit in the Meat and Dairy Policy Division. This unit’s staffing complement has increased in line with my action plan on market access.  It 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 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. The work of the unit supports a meat industry with exports of around €3.8 billion in 2017.  

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