Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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87. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the practice of large beef processors holding and feeding large numbers of cattle until slaughter in an effort to control the market; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this is prohibited in other jurisdictions, such as the United States; his views on introducing measures to prevent this practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45633/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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There are over 100,000 farms contributing to cattle output in Ireland and, last year, over 1.5 million head of cattle were sent for slaughter in processing facilities throughout the country. Meat processors make their own arrangements for the procurement of animals for slaughter. These are commercial decisions for individual processors and their supply base will include animals purchased from farmers on the open market, animals reared on a contract basis, and animals supplied from their own holdings. This has been the longstanding practice in Ireland and elsewhere. It is also my understanding that this is also the practice in the US and that processors are not prohibited from rearing animals in that jurisdiction. I do not intend to introduce measures to prevent this practice.

With regard to any suspected manipulation of the market by beef processors, I would ask the Deputy to bring forward any information or evidence he has in this regard to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission which has been formed through the merger of the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority. The Commission is an independent statutory body that inter aliaenforces Irish and European competition law in Ireland. It does this by taking action against anti-competitive practices (e.g. price-fixing) and by blocking anti-competitive business mergers. The Commission also has a role in promoting competition in the economy by identifying legislative restrictions on competition, advising the Government on the implications for competition of proposed legislation, and by providing general information about competition issues.