Update: Slaughtering within the Beef Industry 1st July 2014
1st July 2014 - Bernard Durkan TD
Parliamentary Question No.173
To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of beef processors currently slaughtering animals throughout the country, where one or more such processors have an interest controlling or otherwise, in more than one slaughtering or processing operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
– Bernard J. Durkan.
For WRITTEN answer on Thursday, 26th June, 2014.
Ref No: 27750/14 Proof: 202
REPLY
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine: (Simon Coveney)
Currently there are 32 beef slaughtering plants approved to export from Ireland to local, EU and third country markets and over 195 local authority businesses approved plants that may export locally or to the EU. The details (names/addresses etc) of the all the approved plants are on the websites of my Department and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) in the case of local authority plants.
With regard to the ownership of beef processing plants this is a commercial matter for individuals or companies who wish to invest in the industry. As the deputy is aware there are companies that operate multiple plants in Ireland, and I as Minister do not have any legislative power to curtail this nor would I seek to do so as there is a free single market in place throughout the EU.
There are safeguards in place to ensure that there are no monopoly positions amongst the ownership of the plants and these are enforced by the Competition Authority. The Authority is an independent statutory body that enforces Irish and European competition law in Ireland. Its mission is ‘to ensure that markets work well for Irish consumers, business and the economy’. It does this by taking action against anti-competitive practices (e.g. price-fixing) and by blocking anti-competitive business mergers. It also has a role in promoting competition in the economy by identifying legislative restrictions on competition, advising the Government on the implications for competition of proposed legislation, and by providing general information about competition issues.
Bernard Durkan TD
Kildare NorthBernard J Durkan is the Fine Gael spokesperson on Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. Originally from Killasser, Co Mayo,…
Related news
Sinn Féin reach new low exploiting Covid diagnosis in Dáil vote
Fine Gael’s most senior TD, Bernard Durkan, has said Sinn Féin have displayed a terrible lack of decency and reached…
12th July 2022Agency should be tasked with monitoring alleged price gouging by service providers – Durkan
A government agency should be tasked with monitoring price increases across utility and service providers to ensure fairness and transparency…
24th June 2022Questions remain about National Lottery’s new 'must-win' prize game – Durkan
The National Lottery’s newly announced ‘must-win prize’ is an acknowledgement that the 6-month rollover is unsustainable, but questions remain regarding…
15th December 2021