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

If the Deputy is so convinced a cartel exists, he might provide some evidence of it. That is all I have to say because every time I ask for it, nobody ever produces it.

Our beef industry operates in an international competitive environment. We sell product into about 70 different countries. We sell product right across Europe. The Deputy should not suggest for one minute that the processors in other parts of Europe with which our processors are competing are not also driving down costs as much as they can because they are doing so. When one exports 90% of the beef one produces - 90% of the beef we produce must find a market outside Ireland - one must operate in a cost-competitive environment. In that context, my job is to make sure that farmers are properly represented in that discussion, that they get a fair and transparent portion of the margin available from the marketplace and that they have professional negotiators negotiating on their behalf collectively in the future because that is where their power will be increased in that discussion and negotiation. We also need to look at the power of retailers and their influence on the overall market at a European level. This is happening at Commission level. Part of the solution to that is producer organisations.

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