Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland's Embassy in Beijing is responsible for the promotion of Irish trade in China, including supporting access to the Chinese market for Irish exporters across a range of sectors. As regards Ireland's food and beverage exports, the Embassy and the Consulates General in Shanghai and Hong Kong work closely with Bord Bia and with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Since the detection of a single atypical case of BSE in November 2023, the Embassy team, led by the Ambassador and the Agriculture attaché, worked closely with the Chinese authorities to provide the necessary reassurances and to reestablish confidence in Irish regulatory and food safety systems, in close consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The announcement by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, during his visit to Dublin last week, of China's intention to lift the temporary suspension on exports of deboned Irish beef to China, was the culmination of these efforts, combined with political and technical interventions by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and is testament to the strong bilateral relations we have developed with Chinese counterparts over the years.

I am pleased that the matter was resolved within a matter of months and that trade will soon resume with this significant market for Irish agricultural products. In line with the Government's refreshed Asia Pacific Strategy, my hope is that we can increase our level of exports of Irish food and drink products as much as possible in this dynamic region and extend our reach to markets we have not yet fully explored.