Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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464. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he remains assured that food imports to Ireland directly or through the European Union continue to be subjected to the highest quality, production, hygiene and husbandry standards applicable throughout the European Union; if breaches have been detected in recent times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7344/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Food products placed on the European marketplace are covered by a range of legislation designed to ensure that products supplied to consumers are of the highest safety standards.

The Department plays a key role in the enforcement of this legislation along with Competent Authorities in other Member States, other Irish Government departments and State Agencies such as the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and the Health Service Executive.

The import of products of animal origin from third countries is governed by a comprehensive and robust legislative framework laid down at EU level, controlled by Member States in the first instance, and audited by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Food Safety to ensure compliance with all of the relevant food safety standards. The legislation imposes health and supervisory requirements designed to ensure that imported products meet standards equivalent to those required for production and trade between Member States.

Veterinary checks are carried out by staff from my Department on consignments of foods of animal origin imported from third countries at designated Border Control Posts. All such consignments undergo documentary and identity checks; physical checks, including sampling of products, are carried out according to European regulations. Import control procedures on products of animal origin are highly prescriptive and are strictly audited by the Directorate to ensure compliance. Audit finding reports are published on the Directorate’s website.

Where breaches of import conditions are identified the consignment will be detained by my Department and either destroyed, re-exported or altered sufficiently to remove and risks to human or animal health.

The control procedures that are in place and implemented by staff in my Department ensure, as much as is possible, that imported food products meet the required standards for placing on the EU market.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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466. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he and his Department continue to be involved in measures to expand the food production sector notwithstanding competing issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7346/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The development of a new ten-year strategy for the agri-food sector is a key commitment of the Programme for Government, which called for an ambitious blueprint for the sector for the years ahead, supporting family farms & employment in rural Ireland and adding value sustainably into the future, with a strategic focus on environmental protection.

I was delighted to launch the new stakeholder-led strategy for the Irish agri-food sector with An Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD and Ministerial colleagues last August. Entitled ‘Food Vision 2030 – A World Leader in Sustainable Food Systems’, its Vision is that “Ireland will become a world leader in Sustainable Food Systems over the next decade. This should deliver significant benefits for the Irish agri-food sector itself, for Irish society and the environment. In demonstrating the Irish agri-food sector meets the highest standards of sustainability – economic, environmental, and social – this should also provide the basis for the future competitive advantage of the sector. By adopting an integrated food systems approach, Ireland will seek to become a global leader of innovation for sustainable food and agriculture systems, producing safe, nutritious, and high-value food that tastes great, while protecting and enhancing our natural and cultural resources and contributing to vibrant rural and coastal communities and the national economy”. The Strategy consists of 22 Goals, grouped into four high-level Missions for the sector to work toward:

1.A Climate Smart, Environmentally Sustainable Agri-Food Sector

2.Viable and Resilient Primary Producers with Enhanced Well-Being

3.Food Which is Safe, Nutritious And Appealing, Trusted And Valued at Home and Abroad

4.An Innovative, Competitive and Resilient Agri-Food Sector, Driven by Technology And Talent

The success of Food Vision will depend on effective implementation and oversight and I chaired the first meeting of the Food Vision High-Level Implementation Committee in November. In line with one of the outcomes of that first implementation meeting, I recently announced the establishment of a Food Vision Dairy Group, whose first task will be to “produce a detailed plan by Q2 2022 to manage the sustainable environmental footprint of the dairy sector”. Given the importance of providing certainty for the sector, I have tasked the Group to provide an initial report to me by end March setting out how emissions associated with the dairy sector can be stabilised, and then reduced, with a final plan to be submitted by the end of quarter two.

A key priority for the Food Vision Dairy Group is ensuring that we continue to provide a platform of sustainability for our farmers and our sector, economically, environmentally and socially. The new Group is chaired by Professor Gerry Boyle and includes representatives from the farming organisations, the dairy industry, my Department and relevant agencies, and they met for the first time earlier this week.