Ray Burke
Question:609 Mr. R. Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the specific action, if any, he has taken to help alleviate the problems being faced by the farmers in this country due to the BSE crisis. [16701/96]
Vol. 469 No. 1
609 Mr. R. Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the specific action, if any, he has taken to help alleviate the problems being faced by the farmers in this country due to the BSE crisis. [16701/96]
632 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the plans, if any, he has to alleviate the hardship currently being experienced by beef farmers; the new initiatives, if any, he intends to take; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16596/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 609 and 632 together.
The hardship being experienced by the beef producers at present is a result of the BSE crisis which arose last March following the announcement in the House of Commons of a possible link between BSE disease and the human disease CJD. This announcement led to an immediate and dramatic fall in consumption across Europe and difficulties in some markets in third countries. Cattle prices in all member states, including Ireland, have fallen as a result of these developments in spite of the introduction of emergency intervention in early April and the purchasing of substantial quantities of beef into intervention since then.