Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday's news of a case of BSE found in an Irish animal has halted valuable exports of beef to the Chinese market. This could not come at a worse time for Irish agriculture, which has been hit from every direction both from Europe but more alarmingly, from our own Government, which continues to treat farmers like environmental terrorists. This is from the farmers' mouths at recent meetings I have been attending. The fact that this case of BSE was caught shows the excellent surveillance system we have in this country, which surely gives comfort to the 70 countries to which we export. However, the last time we had a BSE animal in 2020, the Chinese did not allow the Irish to export beef to China for at least three years. What measures has this Government in place this time to have the Irish back exporting beef to China, a very valuable market for Irish agriculture, as soon as this issue is cleared up? Irish farmers cannot wait three years before the market reopens again.

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