Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There has been a major failure to develop the live trade in recent years and the percentage of cattle exports fell last year by 25%. Does the Minister now accept that beef farmers are likely to come under tremendous pressure in the second half of this year - there could be between 50,000 and 80,000 extra cattle coming out - because of the lack of live exports last year?

Is the Minister going to address this with the same vigour as he addressed difficulties in the dairy industry? Is he considering the introduction of a direct payment for farmers in the beef industry, like the payment he brought in to dairy farmers when there were difficulties in that trade? Beef farmers are facing a serious situation at the moment because of the extra cattle and the failure to create competition through a robust live trade out of this country that would serve as competition with the factories. These factories are squeezing the life-blood out of farmers by not paying them fair prices.

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