Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this important item with regard to what has been happening on the issue of cattle rustling over the past number of years. Cattle rustling has been around for a while but there has been a serious intensification of activity in this most nefarious area in recent times. Cattle farmers in Border counties, including Louth, Monaghan and Armagh, have been severely affected.

Many beef farmers are in dire financial circumstances because of the prices available for their produce over the past six months and longer. Now we have an added dimension whereby farmers who buy cattle at the mart find they are gone from the field the next day. It is costing tens of thousands of euro. In many instances the livestock were bought with bank loans.

The obvious question is where are the livestock going. I must reiterate the point livestock are being stolen north of the Border also. At least one and perhaps two illegal abattoirs have been located, but clearly there must be more. We are speaking about thousands of top quality animals, not exclusively but in the main continental-style beef cattle, which have caught the eye of nefarious people.

This begs the question of what we do about it. Is it possible to establish a task force? Is it possible for the Garda Síochána and the PSNI to work more closely together and in greater harmony on the issue? What is the position of the veterinary sections of the respective Departments with responsibility for agriculture in Dublin and Stormont?

These livestock are disappearing off the face of the earth. Quite clearly they are going into illegal abattoirs because the traceability system established over a period of time is quite robust. Given the fact there are Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine inspectors in legal slaughtering premises it is very hard to imagine they allow unvouched and unvalidated livestock into the food chain.

When these animals are slaughtered, they are going into the food chain. What is the outlet for them? People suggest that perhaps it is the catering sector, which is a significant segment of the food sector. Surely there must be a system whereby individuals trading in the area must vouch for, or can be compelled to vouch for, the source of their meat.

Is legislation adequate to cater for this phenomenon, which is not exclusive to the Border counties? Animals have been stolen elsewhere throughout the country, although it seems to be focused on the Border area. It appears cross-Border traffic in stolen livestock is quite active.

I have raised a number of questions and I await the response of the Minister of State on them. I am positive and supportive of any initiative to tackle it. I have had too many broken-hearted farmers stand in my constituency clinic complaining about this issue. We seem to be able to do nothing about it.

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