2669. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 380 of 2 July 2026, if he will provide an update on the status of this enquiry. [60606/26]

Please find a below the full reply to Parliamentary Question No. 380 of 2 July 2026:

Table.1 Number of day-old chicks imported for laying to Ireland in 2025

A Border Control Post is a designated entry point to the EU market through which consignments of animals must enter the EU from third countries (including Great Britain and those consignments using the UK Landbridge). Imported consignments of day-old chicks must come from an establishment approved by the competent authority of the third country. Day-old chicks travelling within the EU do not require import checks at the Border Control Post, however, they must have valid veterinary certification recorded on the EU TRACES system.

Day-olds are transported in crates within sealed transport vehicles. Temperature and relative humidity of the transport environment is carefully controlled by the transporter to promote the health and survival of the chicks. Journey time and space requirements for the transport of day-old chicks are detailed in Regulation (EC) no. 1/2005. Journey times vary from 7 to 12 hours for GB dispatches and longer for Czechian dispatches.

Any legal entity or natural person transporting poultry for commercial purposes between EU Member States or importing poultry from a third country into the EU must hold a valid Type 2 authorisation in accordance with the relevant provisions of Council Regulation (EC) 1 of 2005.

In addition, road vehicles used to transport poultry between EU Member States or from a third country into the EU must be inspected and approved by the Competent Authority of a Member State in accordance with the requirements of Council Regulation (EC) no.1 of 2005. This approval is commonly referred to as Type 2 vehicle approval.