Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Barry Walsh and the team from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for attending today to make a presentation and answer questions from members. Live exports are critical to the health of the beef sector, in particular, given the pressure it has been under for the past number of years. It is ever more essential. The strength of trade and the prices paid at marts reflect the health of the livestock market. We have an issue currently around the size of the kill in the country, which has been reaching up to 40,000 head per week and putting pressure on the prices farmers are getting. It is crucial to ensure at policy level that the pathway to live exports is as smooth as possible while remaining at all times cognisant of the need to ensure the welfare of the animals being exported is accorded a high priority. Nobody will wish to ensure that more than farmers.

I ask the witnesses in particular about the live export of young calves over the recent period. As the dairy herd grows, it is important to ensure the calves it produces are exported at a young age so the domestic market is not overwhelmed by beef entering at slaughter age. Given the numbers last year, what is the Department's assessment of how those numbers will hold up or improve? Is the Department satisfied in the context of approvals for boats to export those calves? On the Department's engagement on licences and in particular having regard to the issue of lairage in France, will we be able to build on the numbers achieved last year to increase exports this year?

On the export certificates with countries for live export, and especially for northern African countries, Ms Barry Walsh indicated a number of countries where revised licences and new certificates had been agreed in the last period. In her presentation Ms Barry Walsh referred to Egypt, Libya and Qatar in particular and that the Department is continuing to engage in Turkey, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Kazakhstan and Qatar. With regard to the certificates that were revised to give farmers more favourable terms for export, can the witnesses highlight what changes were agreed that facilitate that? In my engagement with the beef sector there was previous feedback that some of the terms and conditions that would have been in those prior export certificates were too onerous - such as restrictions in advance and holding periods for cattle prior to export - and that these made the viability of the exports less attractive than for other exporting countries, which would have had certificates with the same countries. That covers most of my questions.