The production of Irish whiskey is under review by the Department of Agriculture.

The public will be able to submit observations when the findings of the review are published. The technical file on whiskey outlines how pot still, malt, grain and blended Irish whiskey should be produced.

The file has long been the subject of scrutiny as Irish whiskey can be labelled as Irish once it is produced on the island. It can include imported grain and is being produced in large volumes from imported maize.

The Department confirmed to the Irish Farmers Journal that it received three applications requesting amendments to the Irish whiskey technical file/product specification.

“The examination of the requested amendments and the Department’s engagement with the applicants are ongoing. Once this stage has been completed, the proposed amendments will be published to allow for any observations to be submitted to the Department on the proposals.

“As Irish whiskey is an all-island geographical indication, the Department has also engaged with the UK’s Department of Food and Rural Affairs,” the Department said.