Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is very important we have top class conditions because the type of animal we produce is a top class one. One does not send animals in boats in very poor condition. That is important because animals can die. As the Deputy knows, they have to travel a long way by sea and they have to be maintained. I do not think the Department or anybody in this country would stand over a regime unless it was strict, which it has to be.

The fact of the matter is that the figures have risen. The Department is committed to allowing a free market. It is important competition is the life of the trade, whether for the processors or the live industry. It is very important to have both.

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