Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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41. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to ongoing delays at Dublin Port relating to inspections by his Department; the measures he is taking to address same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50767/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Since January 1st, 2021, my Department has carried out more than 65,000 controls at Dublin Port. Phone line are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and, on average, Department staff at Dublin Port deal with 3,000 emails weekly.

From time to time, issues have been raised by individual operators regarding delays, through these communication channels. In many cases, these delays resulted from a lack of understanding of requirements and processes, or a failure to comply with legislative requirements. Consignments may only be released onto the European Single Market if they are in full compliance with EU requirements.

Whilst individual issues arise from time to time  these are part and parcel of the day-to-day operations at Dublin Port. No systemic issues associated with delays have been brought to the attention of my Department. Business operators, who are experiencing delays, should contact my Department team at Dublin Port directly. These staff, who have been engaging extensively with individual businesses in helping them to adapt to the new trading environment, will be glad to assist.