Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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55. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to increase the use of low-emission slurry spreading technology as per the Climate Action Plan if TAMS grant aid is no longer permissible arising from the draft Nitrates Action Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60632/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Environment, Climate and Communications is responsible for Irish air quality.

The Department Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) provides support for farmers to purchase LESS equipment through the TAMS scheme and this has been very successful to date with one third of bovine livestock manure now applied by this method.

In order to increase the efficiency of use of slurry the use of this machinery will be made mandatory on a phased basis over the next number of years. Once a requirement is made mandatory, there remains a finite period of availability for grant aid.

In the updated National Air Pollution Control Programme (NAPCP) which was submitted to the EU Commission in March 2021 by DECC, a number of measures were outlined to bring about reductions in ammonia emissions and to ensure compliance with the NEC Directive targets as soon as possible.

In addition since the submission of the NAPCP, additional measures have been identified and included in the update to the Climate Action Plan 2021 which was published in November 2021. The full impact of all these measures on our current and projected ammonia emissions have not yet been incorporated,

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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56. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions he has taken at European Union level to ensure that additional beef imports which would depress beef prices and damage the environment do not enter the single market. [60881/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The conditions governing the importation of goods and services to the European Union, including Ireland, are determined by European Union Law and the terms and conditions of international trade agreements between the European Union and third countries, made on the basis of a rules based trading order.

As a sector dependent to a significant extent on export markets, the Irish agri food sector, and in particular the beef sector, is a significant beneficiary of the European Single Market and rules based international trading arrangements administered through the WTO.

For this reason, Ireland is broadly supportive of the framework that governs international trade, but prioritises, in its approach to negotiations on trade agreements, the protection of vulnerable sectors and the protection of the environment.

These objectives can be achieved through the limitations on preferential tariffs through the establishment of tariff rate quotas and the imposition of conditions relating to environmental compliance and adherence to food safety and other single market conditions.

It is not open to Ireland to unilaterally establish conditions for the importation of goods and services, nor would it be in the best interests of the agri - food sector for it to do so. However, any import of any product should never be at the detriment of our domestic producer.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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57. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current status of the application to secure EU PGI status for Irish beef; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60286/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that the PGI application for Irish Grass Fed Beef was submitted to the EU Commission in November 2020.

As part of its detailed scrutiny of the application, the European Commission raised a number of queries with my Department over the period May to October 2021. My officials, together with Bord Bia, responded to those queries.

I welcome the publication by the EU Commission on 8th December 2021 of the PGI application for the next stage of the process which will allow EU Member States and Third Countries to submit views on the application. The period of this consultation process is a minimum of three months and can be extended by the Commission.

If successfully registered, PGI status for Irish Grass Fed Beef could have significant benefits for all those in the supply chain, particularly our beef farmers who are the cornerstone of the sector.

My Department will continue to engage with the European Commission on this application, and with their counterparts in Northern Ireland with a view to ensuring that Northern Ireland can join the application at the appropriate time and I understand that the Commission will now be available to join those discussions as needed.

In time, I want the PGI standard to be extended on an all-island basis as I believe it can be beneficial to all our beef farmers.