Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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1203. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the engagements that have been taking place to develop an aligned border operating model process between the EU and UK governments when new rules come into effect on 1 October 2021; if the level of coordination between vets signing health export certificates in Ireland and import vets in the UK are to be enhanced for the benefit of Irish exporters moving products of animal origin; if clarity on the official border operating model will be provided by 15 July 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31372/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The UK is implementing a phased approach to the introduction of its import requirements, including SPS controls. Import controls on Products of Animal Origin entering Great Britain will come into effect from 1st October 2021.

There are no discussions to develop an aligned border operating model process between the EU and the UK. However, there are discussions ongoing at EU and Government level to get full clarity on the UK import requirements.

The UK Authorities published a Border Operating Model (BOM) in July 2020, outlining the requirements for trading with Great Britain post-Brexit which was updated in October and December 2020. However, there are still a wide range of areas where more clarity is needed and, whilst we expected the next iteration of the BOM in May, this did not occur and we have no definitive date as to when it might be updated.

In the meantime, the Department continues to engage regularly with DEFRA, including at senior official level, to press for decisions on outstanding issues, including pre-notification periods and details to be pre-notified, certification queries, requirements for products transiting the landbridge and Border Control Post (BCP) infrastructure, processes and procedures in British ports.

The Department has had very good technical engagement with DEFRA before and in the period since 1st January to ensure coordination between officials conducting import checks on goods from Great Britain in Irish BCPs and officials in the UK responsible for communicating the EU import requirements to stakeholders and officials in the UK responsible for meeting the EU import requirements, including for example, in relation to export health certification. This engagement continues and is now focussing on UK import requirements for products of animal origin for the benefit of Irish exporters.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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1204. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the stages of production and loading operations at which vets must be present at businesses under the new border operating model for export health certificate sign off on products of animal origin; and the progress being made on ensuring that adequate resources, that is, number of veterinary officers and administrative officers are in place to support the delivery of the operating model for businesses with 24/6 operations. [31373/21]

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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1205. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the potential difficulties that export health certificate sign off by veterinarians at businesses with 24/6 operations may have for the ability of those businesses to maintain the smooth and regular shipping of their products; his views on whether the introduction of the high-level border operating model for products of animal origin will disrupt and hold up export pathways for these businesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31374/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1204 and 1205 together.

The UK is implementing a phased approach to the introduction of its import requirements including SPS controls. Import controls on Products of Animal Origin entering Great Britain will come into effect from 1st October 2021.

Meeting the UK regulatory requirements poses significant challenges for the Department in the provision of veterinary certification, as well as for businesses, which must adapt their processes in order to ensure that they meet these new requirements. The Deputy should be aware that it will not be a specific requirement for a veterinary inspector to be present at a food business to sign off on an export health certificate, except on a risk basis, to check the load or when an official seal is requested.

The Department has invested significantly in ensuring that the necessary staffing resources, IT systems and businesses processes are in place to support industry. Preparations are ongoing to provide veterinary certification in a manner that will support the geographically dispersed, just-in-time nature of supply chains with Great Britain.

However, the Department will not be providing veterinary certification 24/6, and it is important that businesses understand this and structure their requirements accordingly. The Department has established a Supply Chain Working Group to understand the specific challenges that industry faces, with a view to seeing how processes can be streamlined, both by the Department and by businesses themselves, in order to meet the UK requirements. Officials are continuing to communicate with industry and this engagement will step up over the coming months, including sharing lessons learned from trials.

The introduction of import controls by the UK has the potential to disrupt trade and I encourage all businesses exporting goods to Great Britain to prepare now and to work collaboratively with the Department to mitigate this disruption as much as possible.