Frustrations over 'beyond painfully slow' process for Boxty recognition as official Leitrim product

Boxty, a traditional potato pancake native to Leitrim, Sligo, and Cavan, looks soon to receive official recognition, solidifying its connection to County Leitrim.

This recognition will fall under the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, highlighting the connection between the product and the region where it is produced.

People in the North West and the Midlands have been campaigning for Boxty to receive PGI status, which has been criticised as ‘beyond painfully slow’ by Sligo-Leitrim TD, Marian Harkin.

The Independent TD has been involved in this campaign for over 10 years.

Deputy Harkin made her remarks in a Dáil exchange with Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue where she sought an update on progress with the European Commission in relation to the assignment of the status.

“Minister, I organised the very first meeting to apply for PGI status for Boxty way back in January 2014. Attending that meeting were a number of producers along with Joe Lowe from Leitrim LEO and other interested parties,” Deputy Harkin said.

“At the meeting Joe Lowe and his counterpart from Cavan LEO committed to putting funding in place to hire a consultant and progress the application.

“Since then, producers have attended meeting after meeting, year after year in conjunction with the Department.

“Indeed, I have attended some of these meetings but despite all this effort, energy and commitment, from the producers in particular, we are still a considerable distance from sending the application to Brussels.

“As an MEP and as a TD I have continued to push this application and indeed, I have questioned the Minister for Agriculture several times every year throughout the lifetime of this Dáil,” Deputy Harkin added.

In his reply, Minister McConalogue said that his Department expects to publish, very shortly, the PGI application for boxty as part of a national opposition procedure, a procedure akin to a public consultation.

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He said the process is at the stage where the preparatory work has been completed and the consultation is the next important step.

Deputy Harkin said she was pleased to hear this but reminded the Minister that he gave her the exact same answer last year and told her the process was at the same stage.

“I don’t doubt your bona fides on this, I don't doubt your interest or your department’s interest, but we cannot seem to reach an outcome,” Deputy Harkin said.

Mr McConalogue acknowledged Deputy Harkin’s frustration but assured her that every priority is being given to progressing PGI status for Boxty and believes he can get movement on the issue.

“Minister, I hope I’m not wrong, but I do have a sense that we are almost at the final hurdle.

“Nevertheless, you must know that there's a huge level of frustration among the producers who have attended so many meetings and complied with everything that’s been asked of them.

“I take your bona fides on this and I’m beginning to believe that maybe we're at a key point and that within the next few weeks, or less, this will move to the next stage and after that an application will be sent to Brussels.

"Minister, I really want to believe that this time, we are at the final hurdle,” Deputy Harkin concluded.

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