Ms Paula Barry Walsh:

I thank the Chairman for the invitation. Live exports are a critical part of the infrastructure of our livestock industry. They play a significant role in stimulating price competition and provide an alternative market outlet for farmers. They are, however, commercial transactions which can be impacted by various factors. The live trade of animals is acknowledged to be a sensitive issue subject to societal, geopolitical and socio-economic influences. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine facilitates this trade, recognising its importance to the agriculture sector, while ensuring that live animal exports meet the highest welfare standards. The Department takes its obligation to supervise the industry very seriously, ensuring compliance with these standards and exercising strict controls on the transport of live animals for export. All ships transporting animals undergo inspection and licensing by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The handling, lairaging and loading of animals is carried out under veterinary supervision. All animals undergo health inspection prior to departure, and certification is issued by the official veterinarian only if the animals are deemed fit for transport and free of disease.

In 2018 live exports totalled 246,226 head of cattle, up 31% from 188,334 in 2017. This change was driven by a significant increase in calf exports to other EU countries. Calf exports to Spain increased by 66% to over 72,500 head in 2018. Exports of Irish calves to Italy and the Netherlands also increased last year to over 12,500 and 48,500 head, respectively. Calf exports to Belgium increased from 4,200 to 13,000 head from 2017 to 2018. Almost 13,000 head of cattle were exported to Turkey last year despite the currency challenges faced in that country.

I turn to ongoing work on market access for the livestock trade. In April 2017, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine outlined a seven-point action plan to increase international market access for Irish food, drink and live exports. This focused on the development of new third country markets as well as ongoing work to maintain access to existing third country markets and improve the terms of our existing access, which is also crucial. The maintenance and expansion of EU markets is also recognised as critical to the live export trade and Ireland works closely with Bord Bia on live export issues. In the context of market access for livestock, the Department has engaged in the last 12 months at political, diplomatic, official and technical levels with a number of delegations from third countries, including Turkey, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Kazakhstan and Qatar. New certificates were agreed with Libya and Qatar which are now more favourable to Irish exports whereby animals may be drawn from a larger cohort and are aligned with bilateral certificates with other member states. I clarify that Egypt's certificates are still being finalised. Revised certificates were also proposed to other markets. While awaiting their responses, the Department is optimistic about a favourable outcome. In August 2018, a Libyan delegation visited Ireland. Following this, the Department reached agreement with the Libyan authorities on veterinary health certificates for the export of cattle. The Minister's decision to reduce the veterinary inspection fee payable on live exports of calves less than three months of age from €4.80 to €1.20 has brought about greater equity in respect of fees payable per consignment.

I turn to animal welfare and compliance with legislation. The Department provides strong oversight of the welfare of animals being exported over land and by sea from Ireland through a comprehensive legislative framework, namely, the Carriage of Livestock by Sea Regulations 2016, SI 356 of 2016, and Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations. In addition, and as already mentioned, veterinary inspection is carried out on animals prior to loading to ensure their fitness for transport. Irish legislative standards for sea transport are recognised by the European Commission as among the most effective and stringent in force. Under the European Communities (Animal Transport and Control Post) Regulations 2006, the Department requires exporters to provide satellite navigation records and return all journey logs on completion of the journey. Furthermore, the Department does not approve journey logs from exporters for road transport for any livestock export where the destination country has an orange or red weather alert in place or where a significant part of the transit route goes through an orange or red alert area. This is in addition to the annual ban on road transport of livestock to Greece, and North Africa during the months of July and August. The Department does not allow road transport to Turkey due to potential delays at border posts which might impact on animal welfare.

Ireland continues to work closely with other EU member states and the World Organisation for Animal Health, OIE, with a view to improving animal welfare practices worldwide. In this regard Ireland has reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to animal welfare through additional OIE multi-annual financial assistance to support its activities to enhance animal welfare worldwide. This additional support to the value of €75,000 per annum over the period 2017 to 2020 is focused on OIE initiatives in the area of slaughter in eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and in the area of "whole journey scenarios" by land, sea or both involving inter-regional journeys. In addition, Ireland hosts technical assistance and information exchange meetings with third country representatives with a view to achieving improved welfare outcomes. Ireland is currently making arrangements to host such a visit in February 2019.

Challenges are to be expected within the live export trade. These challenges include that of capacity in lairages in France. Lairage capacity in Cherbourg has already been increased in recent years from approximately 1,500 calves per day to 4,000. Departmental officials are in ongoing communication with Irish exporters on the need for their co-operative management with each other to ensure lairage capacity at Cherbourg is optimised. Industry has been advised to make contact with business partners in France to explore options around the increase of capacity at Cherbourg. Departmental officials continue to meet with ferry companies to explore new routes to mainland Europe as well as on the carrying of livestock on existing routes to ensure that the greatest facilitation possible is afforded to livestock exporters in the important spring period. The pending approval of a new ferry will assist in addressing these issues. Departmental officials also engage with French counterparts on animal welfare matters and the lairage capacity in Cherbourg. The establishment of an exporter representative body would be a useful development in improving planning and co-operation between exporters. It would enhance their engagement with their French counterparts and especially with the existing owners of the facilities in Cherbourg, where additional capacity may exist.

The Department continues to work with the Egyptian and Algerian authorities with a view to finalising health certificates for these countries. I will be glad to keep the committee apprised of progress in these matters in the coming weeks.