Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

It is not too often I am first to speak at Question Time. Does the Minister acknowledge that this will place a further cost on the primary producer given the cost per tag is estimated at between €2 and €2.50? Farm organisations are suggesting this will place a burden of up to €30 million on primary producers. Does the Minister acknowledge that the current traceability regime is adequate and that it is ludicrous that any European Union proposal would seek to electronically tag any animal for the purpose of meeting some bureaucratic designation?

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