Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 46: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the steps he is taking to ensure that live cattle exported to England will be slaughtered in all processing plants in England. [43631/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The live export trade is an important component of our meat and livestock industry and provides a complement to the beef trade. To date this year, this trade has been exceptionally strong with exports to the United Kingdom alone up by more than 250% on the same period in 2008:

While the purchasing policy of UK meat plants is a commercial decision for those plants my Department and Bord Bia continue to work closely with the industry in monitoring and developing emerging opportunities for Irish livestock in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. This includes contact with processors and retailers in Britain to establish their interest in live Irish exports and cattle born in Ireland and finished in Britain.