Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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893. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of sheep imported in 2018 and 2019 in view of the fact that there is a significant difference in the CSO figures and figures supplied by his Department through the EU trade control and export system; if measures (details supplied) will be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23901/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As a member of the European Union, Ireland is part of a single EU market that permits trade between member states without tariffs or quantitative limits. The intra EU movement of animals is recorded on the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES), which is the EU-wide online management tool for all sanitary and phytosanitary requirements on intra-EU trade and importation of animals, semen and embryo, food, feed and plants.

My Department uses the TRACES system to record all sheep movements in terms of both imports and exports for the purposes of slaughter, breeding and fattening between Ireland and all other jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.

There are inconsistencies between CSO trade data and TRACES data in terms of numbers of live animals, as the focus in the CSO dataset is on the value of imports or exports, rather than on animal numbers. My Department has raised the issue with the CSO, which is working to resolve the matter.

It should be noted that the majority of sheep imports received into the State annually originate in Northern Ireland. According to the TRACES system, a total of 521,798 sheep were imported into Ireland in 2018 and a total of 461,522 were imported in 2019.

My Department regularly updates sheep import movements in the Department’s Meat Market Report which is published on my Departments website weekly.

The sustainable beef and lamb assurance scheme (SBLAS) is developed and operated by Bord Bia, eligibility and verification criteria for the measure are detailed on Bord Bia's website.

Veterinary protocols and traceability requirements, including the recording of movements of animals in regard to the importation of ovine livestock between Ireland and other EU jurisdictions, is governed by EU Council Directive 91/68 EC on animal health conditions.