A group is to be set up to examine the issues facing the Irish poultry industry.
The Minister of State for Food, Brendan Smith, said the group of experts is being established to ensure that a viable sector in Ireland can continue in the long term.
At a conference in Co Kildare on the poultry and egg business organised by Bord Bia, Mr Smith said the industry is at a particularly difficult juncture.
A number of processing plants had closed, he said, and output has also fallen back.
The minister also said the domestic product is being undercut by international competitors, with Ireland producing only 1% of EU output.
There were also new uncertainties arising from the threat of avian influenza, he said.
While egg production is also an exposed business, Mr Smith welcomed the safety measures in place and said a recent survey indicated there was no salmonella of public health significance in eggs in Ireland.
Mr Smith said that the medium term outlook for the poultry market in the EU is reasonably positive.
But, he said, in the light of recent developments there is now a need to take an overall look about what needs to be done for the future.
