Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes, I am concerned about the matters the Deputy raises.

With the expansion of the dairy herd, one of the critical elements in putting a floor and competitive edge in the market is the live export section. In particular, it is about getting Friesian bull calves out of the country early. The withdrawal of Cork Co-operative Marts from that process is a worry. I confess I have spoken directly with its representatives and their view is that this is a market opportunity that will be taken up by others. I hope that is the case and others in that space should be looking at where the trade opportunity was and how they might fill the vacuum created by that departure. In particular, I welcome the recent announcement that there will be live exports to Libya starting shortly, which is important.

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