Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is fine.

Reference was made to lighter carcases of 10 kg, 12 kg or 15 kg. Last Sunday when I talked to Mr. Joe Healy, I said there were 27,000 or 28,000 cattle when they were what I would call "right cattle". When we opted for smaller carcases, the number rose to 30,000 or 31,000. During the years, leaving out Brexit, cattle prices dropped every year. We are now at a figure of 37,000 or 38,000. Is that one of the biggest problems we have?

I come from the contracting side. With a price of €15 per bale, every farmer would incur a cost of €1 per bale. It would be more if spreading slurry. Are the delegates concerned about the impact of the proposed carbon tax on a beef sector that is on its knees?

With reference to a farmer with 1,000 cattle sending slurry somewhere else to cover him, that is not farming of the kind with which we were brought up.