Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Beef farmers, beef farm families and all of those involved in the beef industry in Ireland have that unequivocal commitment from me and the Government, as do consumers of beef and beef products in this country. Ensuring that we have the highest food safety standards and the highest traceability standards should apply to beef that is imported as well as to beef produced here. We are not doing anything, however, for beef farmers, the beef industry or farm families if we just bury our heads in the sand. We export 90% of the food we produce to other parts of the world. Free trade is good for our food industry. Our food industry is based on free trade. We have to ensure, however, that competition is fair and that anybody competing with our farmers and our food producers meets the same food safety standards, the same environmental standards and the same traceability standards. If that is done, if the playing field is fair, then as the best beef producers in the world we should be able to compete. That is what we need to make sure happens.

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