Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)

As from 1 October a new EU regulation will require sheep for export to have a double tag. This affects, in particular, farmers along the Border and Donegal farmers in particular who, on an annual basis, export approximately 70,000 sheep to Foyle Meats in Derry. The current position is that the Department does not issue tags and sheep farmers do not have a second tag for their animals. The requirement to tag sheep was unnecessary given that a herd number would be sufficient to ensure traceability but the requirement to tag twice is ludicrous.

As a result of this policy, sheep farmers in County Donegal will be required to send sheep south which plays into the hands of the meat factories. The issue of dictatorships was raised. Meat factories have been acting like dictators in determining prices and driving farmers off the land. If farmers in County Donegal are forced to send in excess of 70,000 sheep to meat factories in the south, prices will be driven down further, more farmers will be driven off the land and the farming industry will be driven further into the ground. I am aware the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Coughlan, is ploughing a lonely furrow in Cork these days. I ask the Leader to intervene to ensure she abandons the requirement to have a second tag as it will drive more farmers in County Donegal off the land. Foyle Meats is located just ten minutes from the Border. This ridiculous bureaucratic nonsense must stop.