Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I absolutely agree with the Deputy. The welfare of animals must be paramount, and the comfort and welfare of those animals must be assured on any journeys undertaken. The conditions of travel, etc., must be appropriate for the animals. It is an important market outlet. In the past, nearly all our animals were exported live without much processing. It is now a small part of our overall livestock sector, but an important part nonetheless. It offers an important outlet in terms of balancing the market and making sure outlets other than going straight to the factory for processing are available. I certainly think the farming community want to see it continue.

I come from a farming background, as many of the rest of us in the Chamber might be. Along with those of us who are not from a farming background, we want to ensure animal welfare is central and protected. That applies to any journey they undertake as live exports. The processes and oversights we have in place are very strong and, as I said in my initial response, we are seeking to enhance that further by training additional veterinarians to accompany live export trips as well as overseeing the loading and management.

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