Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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296. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of recent restrictions introduced by his Department with regard to movement rules for cattle being purchased in marts for live export to Northern Ireland; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that these changes are affecting the trade in live cattle to Northern Ireland; if he will review the restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18999/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Under EU legislation, cattle exported from Ireland within the EU (including to Northern Ireland) must complete a residency period on a holding prior to export. The animal must have been resident on this holding within 29 days of moving to an assembly centre for export. Subsequent to moving from the holding, an animal may move one time through a mart and/or one time through a dealer’s holding, in that order. No further moves are permitted.

Prior to 2017, the Department’s AIM computer system did not automatically carry out verification checks on compliance with the residency requirement. AIM has been recently updated, with the result that these export eligibility verification checks are now carried out and cattle presented for export that do not meet the eligibility requirements are rejected by the system. Export eligibility for animals being exported via marts has also been aligned to this requirement.

A small number of minor technical and other anomalies that have been highlighted by exporters in relation to the operation of the AIM verification have been addressed or are in the process of being addressed.  However the new arrangements have operated with minimal disruption, as evidenced by the fact that exports of live cattle to date in 2017 have increased by 42.4% compared with the same period last year, and have largely been welcomed by exporters.