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

I am not sure that we should be in a headlong rush, although I know the Deputy is not suggesting this, out of existing traditional and high-paying markets, with the UK being the obvious example, since it is probably the best-paying market for beef in the European Union, if not in the world. We have significant market exposure there. I am not sure that we should be rushing headlong out of that market since it is hard won but we should be strategically looking for new market opportunities. The volume that we export outside the European Union, including to the United Kingdom, is small but it is growing and all of the market intelligence would suggest that the Asian market, where there is an increasing middle class with more disposable income, is looking to replicate western dietary habits with regard to protein sources etc. We see opportunities there for dairy, beef and other proteins in the short term.

It is a question of trying to work with the industry. They are the people who are in the marketplace trying to make a living. We operate on the intelligence that is accumulated from them and from Bord Bia in our endeavours to open new markets but deliberately moving product into one over another is an industry call. The function of the Department is to have as many markets as possible open and we are making significant progress in that regard. The market access unit in my Department has received significant additional resources, as has Bord Bia. It is never a case of saying that we are always right and all-knowing but we continually test our systems against the intelligence available to us from the industry and from Bord Bia.

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