Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Offal is very significant. There are limited markets for offal. My business pre politics was exporting beef to 46 countries around the world through two BSE crises so I know a little about it but not as much as the Minister with the advice he is getting. I acknowledge that he is committed to the task at hand but I do not believe we are as focused or as successful as we could be. Instead of following and waiting for a Europe wide consensus on that issue we should be first in the queue to do a bilateral deal with Russia. Before Ukraine became an issue, Russia banned 70% visual lean or trimmings manufacturing beef to those who would not understand the lingo. It banned the whole of Europe.

Then those self same countries, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, all went off, did bilateral agreements and got derogations on the ban. Ireland sat on its hands and said, "No, we better ensure we do not upset our European colleagues". We were the goody two shoes and sat back. Then this possibility was not open to us. The Ukraine kicked in then. The Ukraine aside, this is what is happening on offal. We are not struggling for markets in strips or fillets, in the main. There is no queue for offal. The fifth quarter is very difficult to market. It is a very difficult market to get into. The Philippines is packed to the hilt. That is the situation with Russia.

We need to be more proactive on this. Mr. Patrick Rogan, the former chief veterinary officer, was much more proactive than whoever is in the role at the moment in terms of, for example, trying to get out onto the market and getting deals done. On the Department website, there is a market access document, with which I am sure the Minister is familiar. It does not make for great reading. I forget which country or countries in particular this refers to but when one goes through the document one sees statements such as, "Sent proposed veterinary health certification by email April 2012. No reply." This is not what I would consider proactive marketing. That is an administrator administrating, ticking a box. We need more than that. I know it is not the Minister's personal responsibility to do this and the blame is not on him. Like other speakers, I have great time for the Minister's approach to many things. However, he needs more help than he is getting in the context of the market.

Bord Bia does a very good job. I have stood with it at stands many a time, at Enuga and elsewhere, and I know the Minister has been at those world trade shows himself, and he knows the difficulties that are there.

We need to be better at niche stuff. In America, there is a brand called Never Ever. It positions its products as having "never ever" been treated with hormones and so forth. The Bord Bia equivalent in America encourages the use of hormones. We do not. As the American market opens up, we could beat Never Ever to death because we grass-finish cattle.

I am nearly finished. If I could have a bit more time-----