Smuggling of N.Z. lamb into Ireland alleged

Press, 24 February 1986, Page 22

Smuggling of N.Z. lamb into Ireland alleged

By

KARREN BEANLAND

New Zealand lamb is being smuggled from Northern Ireland into the Irish Republic, according to allegations made recently at the European Parliament. An Irish member of the Parliament, Mr. Ray MacSharry, who has called on the European Commission to take action on the problem, says that prospects for continued New Zealand access to the European Community could be seriously damaged if evidence was found of lamb smuggling on any big scale. Ireland and France, both lamb producers, are the two E.E.C. countries most critical of New Zealand access to European markets. New Zealand products enter Northern Ireland legally as part of its marketing arrangements with the United Kingdom. Mr MacSharry said he had information that New Zealand lamb was being

sold in supermarkets and bought by hotels in the northern part of the Irish Republic, near the border with Northern Ireland. He had been aware of the problem for about six months.

Since he raised the matter in the European Parliament in January, he had been given the names of people allegedly taking part in the smuggling and of premises where the meat was sold. He was not prepared to reveal the names, however, as he said it was a problem for the European Commission to investigate. Also, there had been suggestions that New Zealand butter was being smuggled, he said. This would be less of a problem because butter would have to be repacked for sale in the south.

Mr MacSharry, who was the Irish Minister of Agriculture during E.E.C. sheep market negotiations in 1981 but who is now an Opposition member, said he did not know if the quantities of meat were

big. But smuggling on any scale could be damaging to New Zealand. “The New Zealand Government does not make any effort to export to Ireland or France because they are sensitive areas, but if there is any meat coming in the back door, it is infringing the system,” he said. "I am sure that the New Zealand authorities would not condone it because it would not help their case for continued access.”

A spokesman from the Irish Embassy in Paris, Mr Michael Kearns, confirmed that there had been allegations of “substantial” smuggling of New Zealand lamb from Northern Ireland to the south. According to reports from Dublin, New Zealand lamb was being sold in butcher shops in the border areas near Sligo. "There is no hard evidence, but there is a strong suspicion hanging over certain individuals, people with a known record,” he said. “There is a

quick buck to be made by smugglers, since New Zealand lamb is not available in the south and because it is cheaper.” The Irish Government did not believe New Zealand organisations were involved in the smuggling. Apart from the thorny question of New Zealand access to the E.E.C., the two countries had very good relations. So far, New Zealand had not tried to enter the sensitive markets in Ireland and France. Extensive smuggling of New Zealand lamb could upset their farmer support systems.

Mr Kearns said the problem was mainly one for the Irish Customs. “There are about .300 roads across the border and’ we have Customs posts on about 26 of them.”

It was perfectly legal for an Irish, shopper to buy New Zealand lamb in a Northern Ireland butcher shop and take it home across the border. Smuggling of bigger quan-

titles of meat, would breach E.E.C. health regulations. Mr Michael Calder, secretary of the New Zealand. Meat Board, said he was unaware of commercial smuggling of New Zealand lamb in Ireland. No New Zealand lamb was exported to the Irish Republic, but there was nothing to stop housewives bringing lamb back from Northern Ireland on shopping trips, he said. If commercial smuggling described by Mr MacSharry was occurring, there was nothing New Zealand could do about it It was purely an internal matter for the European Commission, Mr Calder said.

Allegations that New Zealand lamb or butter was being smuggled were not new, but neither was the smuggling of Northern Ireland lamb into the Irish Republic and back again to pick up a subsidy, he said.