Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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383. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which all food imports into this country remain subject to Irish and EU standards in respect of husbandry, processing and production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12198/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Consignments of food of plant and animal origin may only be imported into the European Union if they meet the requirements that apply to husbandry, processing methods and production within the European Union. To ensure compliance with these requirements, consignments of food of plant and animal origin must be presented for checks at the border control post (BCP) of first arrival in the European Union.

Only if the checks have been carried with a satisfactory outcome, and a certificate to this effect called a Common Health Entry Document or CHED has been issued, may the goods be released from the BCP and delivered to the premises of destination. The premises of destination may be in the same Member State as the BCP, or in a different Member State.

Once the certificate of compliance has been issued, goods may move from the premises of destination to other premises, either within the same Member State or in a different Member State, provided this is done in compliance with rules that apply to the movement of that particular commodity within the European Single Market.

Consignments of food of plant and animal origin arriving into Ireland from a non-EU country must present for checks at one of the four designated BCPs that my Department and the HSE operates. These BCPs are located at Dublin Airport, Dublin Port, Rosslare Port and Shannon Airport.

At these BCPs, consignments undergo documentary, identity, and physical inspections to confirm they are in compliance with EU legislation. Consignments found not to be in compliance with these requirements are rejected and are either destroyed or re-exported to the country of origin, in compliance with rules laid down in European legislation.

In 2022, my Department carried out just over 95,000 import controls across the four BCPs with just under 90% carried at Dublin Port. Reflecting the fact that most of the consignments came from GB, a country very familiar with EU standards, the overall levels of non-compliance were very low at just over 1%.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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384. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which ongoing inspections of food and food products for export continues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12199/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Officials in my Department perform ongoing inspections on food and food products to ensure compliance with Irish & European Union legislation on food and feed.

Official controls, such as food safety inspections, ensure compliance with these regulations. These controls are performed with the same level of care by my officials for food and food products goods which are placed on the Irish market, moved to another Member State, or exported outside the Union. In the case of exports outside the Union, my Department may perform additional controls at the request of a third country of destination of such goods.

My Department provides official health certification on the basis of this system of official control.