Agriculture Schemes

Tuesday, 16 December 2025

Questions (786, 788, 790, 791)

Paul Lawless

Question:

786. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has assessed whether the standard service contract and terms and conditions used by an organisation which assign all intellectual-property and data rights to the organisation, allows the restriction on breeders’ access to performance data and genetic-evaluation results for their own animals, allow unilateral termination of evaluation services, and lack an effective opt-out or purpose-limitation clause for data-originators, comply with regulations (details supplied); if he considers the current contracts incompatible; the amendments or regulatory measures which will be required to secure breeders’ access to evaluation results and preserve their data rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71876/25]

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Paul Lawless

Question:

788. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if any breeder or breed society wishing to operate their own recognised breeding programme in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/1012 is required, in practice, to enrol in an organisations - national breeding programme (details supplied) and to comply with contractual terms and operational rules set by the organisation which are not contained in, nor approved as part of the stated rules of procedure and breeding programme of that breeder or breed society; and if so, whether this requirement is compatible with the autonomy of breeders and breed societies guaranteed under Article 13/14 of the regulation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71878/25]

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Paul Lawless

Question:

790. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he considers that, prior to approving or designating a third party under Article 27 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1012 to operate performance recording and genetic evaluation services on behalf of breeders, there should be a clear demonstration that such a body can provide the full range of services necessary to ensure breeders and breed societies retain genuine freedom of choice and autonomy over the objectives, structure and operation of their breeding programmes, as protected under article 14 of that regulation; and whether he is satisfied that the currently designated bodies provide sufficient options to respect this autonomy in practice, including where breeders seek alternative trait priorities or breed-specific selection strategies outside the national centrally-designed indices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71880/25]

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Paul Lawless

Question:

791. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that, in circumstances where breed societies in Ireland effectively have only a single designated third-party provider of performance recording and genetic-evaluation services, those societies many with limited legal and financial resources are not placed at a disadvantage that could compel them to accept contractual terms or data-use conditions that may not be in the best interests of their breeders, their breed, or their breeding-programme objectives; the steps he will take to ensure that such contractual arrangements remain fair, proportionate, and fully aligned with the rights set out in regulation (EU) 2016/1012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71881/25]

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Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

I propose to take Questions Nos. 786, 788, 790 and 791 together.

The Animal Breeding Regulations (Regulation (EU) 2016/1012) includes rules for the recognition of breed societies and breeding operations and approval of their breeding programmes. Each recognised breed society is required to submit a breeding programme for their specific breed for approval by my Department.

A breeding programme may be approved in accordance with Article 8(3) of the Regulations. In accordance with Article 27 (1) of the Regulations, a breed society may carry out performance testing or genetic evaluations themselves or contract a competent third party to carry out these activities or their behalf.

Whether or not these activities are contracted to a third party is entirely a matter for the breed society or breeding operation. The criteria for approval of a breeding programme by my Department provides for either option. Any service contract agreement and the respective terms and conditions between the named organisation and a breed society is a matter for those concerned parties, once both parties comply with the applicable requirements of the Regulations.

Articles 13 and 14 of this Regulation concerns the rights and obligations of breeders, breed societies and breeding operations. I am satisfied that the designation of a third party is entirely compatable with Articles 13 and 14 of the Regulations. The national breeding programme as referred to is not an approved breeding programme under the Regulations whereas each recognised breed society has their own approved breeding programme.

Article 14 (4) of the Regulations, which deals with the rights and obligations of breed societies and breeding operations, requires breed societies and breeding operations to settle disputes that may arise between a breed society or breeding operation and breeders in the process of carrying out their approved breeding programme. This is an option for any breeders to invoke where they feel a grievance has taken place.