Michael Ring
Question:122 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the proposals, if any, he has initiated to accelerate the development of new beef breeds to ensure the quality of the Irish herd in future years. [15452/97]
Written Answers. - New Beef Breeds.
I am satisfied that, having regard to our open policy with regard to the importation of breeds from other countries, the range of beef breeds available in Ireland is adequate to meet the diverse needs of the industry and the marketplace. However, I believe that we need to improve the quality of the Irish beef breeds. This can best be achieved by an expansion in our national cattle breed improvement programme and by upgrading our system for genetic evaluation. The recently established Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) will play a major role in achieving these objectives.