Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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478. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to introduce an EID tagging system for sheep in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49977/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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My experiences leading recent trade missions to open up new markets indicate that the current National Sheep Identification System (NSIS) is a limiting factor in my Department's ongoing efforts to expand the export potential for Irish sheep meat. The expansion of export markets in the context of the  uncertainty surrounding Brexit is critical in the continuing sustainability of the Irish sheep industry. In the light of the above I am currently examining the option of extending the use of electronic identification in sheep.