Paraic Brady (Fine Gael)

I want to address something that has again raised its head in the last number of weeks. In the beef and lamb sector we have seen beef and lamb prices falling steadily. However, all over Europe we have seen an increase in beef and lamb prices. Members of the House may be aware that we have an independent agrifood regulator in this country. Over the last year the regulator has published price and market analysis on two sectors, namely, the egg and the horticultural sectors. I hope the regulator will now look at the beef and lamb sectors, as we have seen this happen year on year. At certain times of the year we have seen the price of lamb and beef fall with no explanation from the sector itself. It is a commodity that is welcome and wanted all over the world. We have seen shelves in supermarkets in Europe and England that are empty and yet, we have seen the prices fall here. There has to be accountability and stability in this market. As farmers, we cannot be asked to produce a product and not know what the end price of that product is going to be. It is the only industry in the world where one is asked to produce a product without knowing the price of the product when it is finished. I ask the regulator to look at the beef sector going forward. I hope that Meat Industry Ireland and the sector itself could co-operate and that analysis could be published regarding the markets we have seen open up over a number of years.