Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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105. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of live exports of cattle and sheep from Ireland each year in the past three years broken down by country of final destination and between cattle and sheep; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39686/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I attach considerable importance to the live export trade and, together with my Department, I have been very active in facilitating both the cross border live trade and shipments abroad.Live exports serve a dual purpose as a means of satisfying market demands for live animals and providing alternative market outlets for farmers. Total live exports to date this year stand at almost 203,000 head, of which almost 51,000 have gone to the UK, an increase of some 5,300 head or nearly 12% up on the comparable period in 2013. Allied to this, exports to Continental EU now stand at over 136,300 head, an increase of over 20,400 head or 17.5%. Please see details of live exports (Head of cattle and sheep) from Ireland, by destination, below.