Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have one observation and a question. Deputy Mac Lochlainn mentioned the soon to be created independent police authority. As a large organisation, the IFA should seek membership of that authority. There is currently a call under the Public Appointments Service. It is open to individuals to seek inclusion in the authority's membership. I think the IFA would have a constructive and valuable role to play in this regard.

Will the IFA representatives quantify the scale of cattle rustling, including the headage stolen? Are the cattle brought to unlicensed, unregulated abattoirs or are they sold on? What is the dispersal method? I am trying to get a sense of the scale of the problem. We had some reports of it happening in my constituency in Limerick. Thankfully, however, the most recent report turned out to be a false alarm. It was reported in the newspaper that there was a large theft of cattle, but apparently they found their way home the following week.