Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----and farmers, and the amount of money being spent in terms of the percentage of loans being made. The amount being spent on agriculture, agrifood and farming is considerably above what it would have been in previous years.

In answer to Deputy Ó Cuív's question, we are doing a great deal on live exports. We have opened up an entire series of new markets, the most recent example being Libya, which is now available for live cattle exports, as are other countries. Wherever there is a commercial opportunity to do this we should do so as the role of live cattle exports is very important in terms of keeping factories honest, as farmers would say. I will continue to facilitate that in Government policy.

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