Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I do not know if the farming organisations are satisfied with it, but the farmers are not and I am not. Let us consider the figure: 0% increase; 0.3% reduction; 0.3% increase; 1% increase; 1% increase; 0.6% increase; 0.3% increase. These are across the various classifications of steers and young bulls.

The figures speak for themselves. They are not my figures or the IFA's but are the figures of the Department's agency, An Bord Bia. There has not been an improvement.

The Minister of State seems to accept that it is okay that only two boats are licensed to ship to North Africa from an island nation. He made much of the number of exports to Northern Ireland. I am open to correction but I doubt very much livestock were exported to Northern Ireland in boats. In the case of Britain, it is roll-on/roll-off. There are even problems there but, as the Minister of States well knows, one does not require specific licensed boats to take cattle to Britain and that the only place we need them to go to is to third countries, such as Libya, but there are only two boats.

The issue is that the Minister of State's Department is proud of the fact it operates the most restrictive regime in Europe. I would like to know why. Is it really about animal safety or is it about subverting competition and protecting particular processors? Will the Department do something about the fact feed lots across this State are being filled by processors which gives them the power to subvert competition and to hammer beef prices? As soon as prices rise, they open those feed lots and release thousands of cattle to drive down the prices. Will this anti-competitive practise be investigated because if it is not, many farmers who had cattle in sheds all winter and who have cattle in sheds now will be in trouble? They are losing money on every head of cattle because, as I said, prices are way down on this time last year. The Minister of State knows that, as do I. The prices for store cattle at the marts are not down. People are looking at losses unless something is done. If nothing is done, the Minister of State can rename Agriculture House, Goodman House.

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