Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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495. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when beef exports to China will resume; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10334/20]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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On 14 May 2020, my Department identified a suspected case of ‘Atypical BSE’ in a 14-year old cow as a result of its surveillance of ‘fallen’ animals – these are on-farm deaths which are sent to a collection centre (knackery) for sampling and destruction. On 22 May, confirmatory tests carried out at my Department’s Central Veterinary Research Laboratory verified the suspect case as Atypical BSE. Atypical BSE is believed to occur spontaneously in all cattle populations at a very low rate and has only been identified in older cattle. There are no public health risks associated with this occurrence.

My Department promptly notified relevant competent authorities in importing countries, the EU Commission and the OIE (World Animal Health Organisation) of the test findings. Ireland is designated by the OIE as a country with a ‘controlled’ risk status since 2008; this classification recognises that Ireland’s BSE controls are effective and that, under OIE rules, Irish beef can be safely traded internationally. The discovery of a rare Atypical BSE case does not affect Ireland’s ‘controlled risk’ status.

Nevertheless, on an interim basis and in line with the specific protocol agreed with the Chinese authorities, Ireland has voluntarily suspended beef exports to China as and from 22 May, until an epidemiological report by DAFM on the occurrence is considered by the Chinese authorities. This report, which concludes that this case is consistent with the epidemiology of Atypical BSE and underlines the efficacy of our BSE surveillance system, has now submitted to the General Administration of Customs in China.

Beef exports to China have grown significantly in the short time that the market has been open. According to the latest data from the CSO, almost 8,200 tonnes of Irish beef worth approximately €40m were shipped in 2019, the first full year the market was open. Shipments in the first quarter of 2020 amounted to some 2,200 tonnes and were worth approximately €11m.

My officials are engaging intensively with the Chinese authorities with a view to seeking an early resumption of the beef trade to China. The decision to resume trade is a matter for the Chinese authorities.