Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for a most comprehensive answer which has reassured me as to the quality and traceability of Irish beef. Indeed, I was in China in 2000 and Ireland had a very good reputation there even then. I commend the Minister on the work he is doing.

What probably needs to happen is that we engage in some form of re-education in order that farmers do not find themselves putting an animal into a trailer and taking it to a mart, only to be turned away at the gate. There will always be once-off accidents where a tag gets displaced during transit. Nonetheless, there needs to be the constant message not to bring the animal out of the field unless both tags are firmly fixed.

I thank the Minister for his time and appreciate very much the comprehensive nature of the answer he has given me.