Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Unfortunately, the application for European funding has not been successful. The Deputy knows well from previous debates in this House the absolute commitment I have to suckler beef and to ensuring it is promoted. Working with the beef task force on this agreement, I have committed to ensuring that €6 million of Government funding will go towards developing a suckler brand for the first time and supporting and backing it up. That is alongside the submission of the PGI for Irish grass-fed beef to the European Commission. I remind the Deputy that there was agreement among all the farming organisations within the beef task force on taking this approach, which I very much welcome because it is important we all work together to make the most of our beef product and ensure we give it every chance to be promoted abroad, to get a premium price abroad and, importantly, to ensure it is translated back to farmers' pockets for the hard work they do.

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