Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The current Irish regulations on the approval of ships for livestock transport set a high standard, higher than that which applies in other EU member states. These regulations were introduced in 1996, following a comprehensive review of this area, in response to a series of major difficulties that arose with livestock shipments from Ireland at that time. Since then, our policy has been that given the potential risks associated with live shipments from Ireland, it is necessary for Ireland to maintain these high standards. I wish to reassure the House that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is continuing all its efforts to secure markets abroad for our valuable cattle industry be it in live trade or beef. Live exports continue to be an important outlet for Irish cattle, providing an essential element of competition with the beef trade.