Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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335. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he continues to promote and support the Irish dairy sector at home and at EU level with a view to ensuring adequate supplies for the home market as well as exports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18885/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I can assure the Deputy that Ireland is among the most food secure countries in the world and ranks second of 113 countries assessed for food security, according to the latest Global Food Security Index released last September.

 The Irish agrifood sector is globally orientated, with approximately 90% of Irish beef, sheepmeat and dairy produce exported each year. Currently Ireland produces significantly more food than we consume.

The EU communication "Safeguarding food security and reinforcing the resilience of food systems” sets out actions in the three areas of security, stability, and sustainability. The EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council of Ministers, of which I am a member, will continue to focus on these core areas and to support the work of the recently established European Food Security Crisis preparedness and response Mechanism (EFSCM).

Specifically in relation to the supply of dairy, I note that the Dairy Industry is one of our largest and most profitable sectors. Irish Dairy exports exceeded the €7 billion euro mark last year, making it the largest food and drink export category.  Last year, we exported over 1.6 million tonnes of dairy products to over 130 different countries around the globe. We ship over 85% of our dairy products to the EU and beyond. My Department continues to engage intensively with competent authorities overseas, our Embassy network, Bord Bia and industry, to ensure as many markets as possible are available for a broad and balanced range of dairy products.

For such an export orientated sector, Ministerial led trade missions to our priority markets are a key part of our market access and diversification strategy. These overseas missions allow me to meet key decision-makers on market access requests, to strengthen commercial relationships with industry customers, and to bolster Ireland’s reputation as a trusted supplier of high quality, safe and sustainable dairy products. I look forward to working with my Department and Bord Bia on further trade mission activity this year.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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336. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he and his Department continue to promote Irish food products abroad to the maximum possible extent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18886/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, a key element of Food Vision 2030, the agrifood sector's ten-year strategic development plan, is to grow, promote and diversify our agrifood export profile abroad. Food Vision identifies a number of actions targeted at realising this growth ambition, including market diversification and market promotion activities.

These include my Department working with industry and Bord Bia to realise new opportunities in countries and regions with growing middle-class populations and rising disposable incomes. These markets are characterised by consumers who have a significant appetite for the high-quality, sustainable and safe dairy, meat, beverages and seafood produced by our farmers, fishers and processors.

A key component of my Department's efforts to promote Irish food products abroad is our Ministerial Trade Mission programme, which we undertake in conjunction with industry and Bord Bia. In 2022 we restarted in-person Trade Missions with visits to the United States, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Singapore and Vietnam, as well as European promotional activities in the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

In 2023, an intensive schedule of Ministerial led Trade Missions has commenced. In February, Minister Hackett successfully completed an Organics focused Trade Mission to Germany. Last week, Minister Heydon returned from China, where he supported a number of Irish exporters in promoting their high quality produce at one of China's largest trade fairs in Hainan, and held high-level executive meetings with key customers for Irish food in Shanghai. I will lead a second trade mission to China in May, including to the SIAL trade fair in Shanghai. This activity underlines the Government's commitment to what is the top opportunity market in Asia for Irish agrifood exports.

Later in the year, Trade Missions are planned to West Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, to South East Asia, Malaysia and the Philippines and to a number of key European markets including UK and France all of which are priority growth targets for our agrifood export sector.