Written answers
Wednesday, 29 June 2022
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Live Exports
Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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226. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of animals that have been exported live from Ireland in 2020, 2021 and 2022, broken down by species (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34823/22]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine only permits animals to be transported in compliance with the EU's animal welfare legislation. This is supported by the Government.
The table below shows the number of animals recorded as having been exported from Ireland to all other destinations in the years displayed.
The data supplied in the table below in respect of cattle is provided by the Department's Animal Identification and Movement System, for movements recorded up to 19 June 2022. The data supplied in the table below in respect of sheep and pigs is provided by the EU TRACES system, for movements recorded up to 26th June 2022.
| - | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle | 265,663 | 247,541 | 206,087 |
| Sheep | 27,963 | 19,618 | 1,404 |
| Pigs | 491,740 | 474,994 | 228,925 |
Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party)
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227. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number and frequency of live sheep exports from Ireland in 2019, 2020, and 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34824/22]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The intra-EU movement of animals is recorded on the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES), which is the EU-wide online management tool for all sanitary and phytosanitary requirements on intra-EU trade and importation of animals, semen and embryo, food, feed and plants.
My Department uses the TRACES system to record all sheep movements in terms of both imports and exports for the purposes of slaughter, breeding and fattening between Ireland and all other jurisdictions.
The total numbers of live sheep exported from Ireland for the years 2019– 2021 are listed below:
2019 - 7,161
2020 - 27,963
2021- 19,618
Live sheep exports occur throughout the year, however the majority of exports occur in July/August due to the seasonality of production.
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