Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has confirmed that all beef and lamb supplied to canteens in Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) headquarters is of Irish origin.

The minister added that "most" of the chicken and pork products supplied to these facilities is from Ireland.

In a parliamentary question, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín asked the minister to provide assurances that all meat sold or provided in the canteens is of Irish origin.

DAFM

Minister Heydon said that his department has six headquarter locations, and four of these have canteen facilities, as follows:

Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2;
Backweston Campus, Co. Kildare;
Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford;
The National Seafood Centre, Clonakilty, Co. Cork.

Minister Heydon said that all of these DAFM canteens are managed by external providers.

"All beef and lamb supplied are of Irish origin, with most of the chicken and pork products also of Irish origin, all purchased from Irish wholesalers," he added.

Schools

Meanwhile, the provenance of food supplied under the School Meals Programme has also come under the spotlight.

Aontú TD Paul Lawless asked Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary to "guarantee that food supplied to participating schools is of Irish origin".

He queried the mandatory labelling requirements for beef used in school meals where the beef is not of Irish origin.

Deputy Lawless also asked if beef imported for the programme is subject to EU and Bord Bia standards.

In response, Minister Calleary said schools wishing to avail of funding for the programme are responsible for choosing their school meals supplier.

"It should be noted that under EU laws, and as reflected in public procurement rules, it cannot be specified that food must originate from a particular country. That would be in breach of EU single market rules," he said.

The minister added that suppliers "should make all reasonable efforts to minimise adverse environmental impact in the methods of services delivery and in materials used".

Food safety

Minister Calleary said the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) enforces food safety legislation and provides advice on the mandatory labelling requirements for beef not of Irish origin.

"The Food Safety Authority of Ireland deals with enforcement procedures in instances of non-compliance with food law by any food business operator in Ireland," he said.

"I will continue to improve the Free Hot School Meals programme and ensure that suppliers adhere to robust guidelines on the nutritional value of meals, the dietary requirements of students, the reduction of food waste and the use of recyclable packaging," the minister added.