Michael Comiskey (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the visit over recent days of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, to China. Yesterday he hosted a dairy conference. China imported €270 million worth of dairy products from Ireland in 2013. With our dairy targets set to increase by 50% in the coming years, it is crucial that we have more and more exports to countries such as China. There is also a market for beef, as China imports 5.6 million tonnes of beef annually. We have had our own problems in the beef sector in recent months. I hope with these new markets the price for beef here will increase. Joining the Minister on his trip to China are 37 companies, which in turn will create more and more jobs here, which I welcome.