Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Annual aggregate beef export volumes for the decade from 2014 are shown in the table hereunder. Data for 2023 relates to the first ten months of the year only, as full year data is not yet available.

The average quantity exported annually from 2014 to 2022 was over 512,000 metric tonnes reflecting a positive perception of Ireland as a consistent source of high-quality beef with strong sustainability credentials and consumer appeal.

Variations in export performance are explained by the interaction of supply and demand factors such cattle throughput at meat plants, carcase weight, price competitiveness and consumer sentiment in various overseas markets coupled with global trade dynamics.

	Jan-Dec 2014	Jan-Dec 2015	Jan-Dec 2016	Jan-Dec 2017	Jan-Dec 2018	Jan-Dec 2019	Jan-Dec 2020	Jan-Dec 2021	Jan-Dec 2022	Jan-Oct 2023
Beef	Exports	Exports	Exports	Exports	Exports	Exports	Exports	Exports	Exports	Exports
	Tonnes	Tonnes	Tonnes	Tonnes	Tonnes	Tonnes	Tonnes	Tonnes	Tonnes	Tonnes
	509,900	486,101	532,544	547,447	534,542	528,379	524,710	455,581	492,122	393,588

Source: CSO

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The table below shows the volume of beef imports in tonnes for each of the past five years for which data is available.

Final full year data for 2023 will become available in mid-March 2024, but between January and November 2023 it is estimated that 32,930 tonnes of beef were imported into Ireland. It should be noted that the volume of beef imports is not an exact proxy for foreign beef sold in the Irish market. Some beef products may be imported for processing in Ireland and re-exported for sale abroad, while some Irish beef may be exported for processing abroad and imported for sale here.

	Jan-Dec 2018	Jan-Dec 2019	Jan-Dec 2020	Jan-Dec 2021	Jan-Dec 2022
Category	Imports	Imports	Imports	Imports	Imports
Beef	34,437	30,213	29,921	35,071	36,568

To put it into context when compared to exports, Ireland is among the largest beef exporters in the northern hemisphere with total exports of 492,000 tonnes worth over €3.05 billion in 2022.

The Irish beef sector is critically dependent on international trade, and therefore, on a multilateral trading system operating under WTO rules, EU Single Market rules, and the Trade and Co-operation Agreement agreed between the EU and UK post Brexit.