Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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My understanding is that it was more like an offer that was made. When beef was being marketed as from Ireland it was stated that we have these rules in Ireland and the cattle will be under the age of 30 months. It was an offer made rather than a requirement and it became the norm. We have all acknowledged a certain absurdity in it. It grew out of the 30-day rule following the BSE outbreak. Surely an argument to revisit that rule can be made. Our unique selling points are not the 30-month or 70-day rules. They are about being grass fed, family farmed and so on, which we are not using when we market our beef. We need to have a conversation about that.