Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the scheme. It is a move in the right direction. I mentioned to the Minister at a committee meeting a few weeks ago that we needed to come up with something outside the box and that it needed to be related to the calf. That, by and large, is what has happened. I understand an action must be involved in it. There is some concern about the cost of the weigh-in and the way that will work out. Perhaps the Minister will give more detail on how farmers will manage that, particularly in areas where traditionally there would not have been the use of a weighing scales except when farmers went to the mart which is the only time they would have seen the use of a scales. That is a problem for farmers in many areas. The bigger issue for the suckler and beef sector is the price the farmer gets. That must be dealt with. Currently prices are very low for beef when it goes to the factory and that has a knock-on effect all the way back down to the weanling in the market.

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