James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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716. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to consider facilitating the construction of a border control post (BCP) at the Port of Cork through which consignments of food, food contact materials, animals, feed and plants that are subject to increased import controls must enter the European Union, as the lack of a BCP facility is severely impacting the Port of Cork’s growth while causing additional pollutant emissions and increasing costs for importers and consumers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25201/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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At present, Cork Port is designated a Border Control Post (BCP) for container shipments of wood and wood products only. The Port of Cork Company submitted a business case to my Department in October 2022 requesting approval for a full Border Control Post at the Port of Cork. Much of the benefit expected would accrue to the fruit, vegetable and organic sector.

My Department considered this proposal, engaged with Cork Port Company. At the time it was considered that this proposal did not demonstrate a significant increase of trade to justify the investment in terms of exchequer resources required to run a BCP.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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717. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department would consider granting temporary derogations of three to six months length to customers of the Port of Cork to prevent disruption to seasonal goods imports for consignments needing physical inspection due to the current lack of a Border Control Post facility for agricultural checks at the port, as this would give the Port of Cork greater flexibility to encourage importers to use Cork and boost trade while avoiding additional pollutant emissions and increased costs for importers and consumers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25202/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Member States are required to perform official controls on live animals, plants, plant products and products of animal origin as required under the European Official Controls Regulation 625/2017. There are four designated BCPs in Ireland, located at Dublin Port, Dublin Airport, Rosslare Europort and Shannon Airport.

The designation of BCPs must be approved by the EU Commission and necessitates the compliance of the proposed BCP with detailed rules on the minimum requirements for infrastructure, professional staff, equipment, and commodity-specific requirements laid down in Regulation 2019/1014. Derogations from these requirements are not provided for in this legislation.

Cork Port is a designated BCP for bulk consignments of roundwood logs but is not designated for live animals, products of animal origin, plants, plant products or organic goods. During 2024, a facilitation under Article 73 of Regulation 2016/2031 allowed for the importation of melons through Cork Port. This was not a derogation from the requirements for BCP approval, as laid down in Regulation 2019/1014, but rather a specific facilitation that allows for a very small number of plants and plant products deemed, on assessment, as presenting minimal risk to the plant health status of the Union, as provided for by Regulation 2016/2031. The small number of plants eligible for this facilitation are still subject to identity and physical inspections. A similar facilitation for products of animal origin, live animals and for most plants and products of plant origin cannot be legally provided.