Vol. 490 No. 1
5 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the progress, if any, being made on the provision of a shipping facility for export of live cattle to replace the Purbeck on the Cork to Cherbourg route which was withdrawn recently; the progress to date on the reopening of the live cattle trade to Egypt, Libya and Bosnia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9528/98]
I am pleased to confirm that agreement was reached last weekend between exporters and Gaelic Ferries, operators of the Cork-Cherbourg ferry service, on the next phase of the operation of the service which was started last October with Government support and which proved highly successful in facilitating our live export trade. This agreement, a key element of which is an equity investment by the EU Livestock Exporters Co-operative, assures the continuation of the service in the medium term, using a new vessel, the MV Francoise, and secures the direct involvement of livestock and other exporters in its operation.
Over the coming weeks Gaelic Ferries, with the active involvement of exporter representatives, will be evaluating a number of options aimed at securing the long-term future of the operation. I urge all exporters, most particularly those involved in the livestock and agri-food areas, to make full use of the service and thereby enhance its long-term viability.
On the live cattle trade to third countries, Egypt and Libya are the main traditional markets remaining closed to live cattle from Ireland. Following my visit to Cairo last September, I forwarded a detailed proposal in November to the Egyptian Deputy Premier and Minister for Agriculture for a trial shipment of live cattle to Egypt. The proposal was discussed with the Egyptian authorities during a visit of a technical delegation from the Department of Agriculture and Food to Cairo in February. While the proposal remains under consideration, and considerable technical information has been provided, the Egyptian authorities have not made a final positive decision. In the meantime, imports of Irish beef to the Egyptian market have increased significantly. Contact will be maintained with Egypt and every possible effort is being made through unilateral contact and technical discussion to secure a re-opening of the trade.
As regards Libya, efforts are also continuing to have the ban on live cattle imports from Ireland removed. A response to an invitation from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Andrews, to senior Libyan officials to visit Ireland for discussions on a range of matters of mutual interest and concern is awaited.
We have no indication of any BSE related ban by Bosnia on imports of cattle from Ireland. If any Member has information in that regard I would like to follow it up.
I am delighted the new French ship will sail with live cattle. I thank the Minister and the Government — I have said this publicly — for their investment in the Purbeck but I am concerned about the current stop-go approach. Last week, many of the exporters and transporters did not know there would be a vessel available to export animals in a few days. I do not have to tell the Minister that causes enormous problems for the people buying the product at the other end, having regard to continuity of supply. I am further told by people involved in the trade that this process is on trial for a month and that a new financial arrangement will have to be put in place to ensure its continuity. I would like the Minister to comment on that.
I put it to the Minister that his heart is not in the live export trade. Four or five months ago, the Minister was told in Cairo there would be a trial shipment of cattle, yet a single animal has not left our shores for Egypt. What sort of trial shipment was the Minister talking about? Will he acknowledge that for an agricultural country like Ireland, which exports eight out of every ten animals, a live cattle export trade is vital for competition?
The Government is not taking this issue seriously. Thankfully, most sectors are doing well but not the agricultural sector. Confidence would be restored to that sector if it were known that later this summer the ship would sail with live cattle, but I do not believe the Minister's heart is in this issue.
There are a number of elements to the Deputy's question. In relation to the Purbeck, we did not have a ferry service last October. The Purbeck was put on the high seas to provide a service and Exchequer funding was allocated. That worked relatively well and it was reflected in better prices, especially for weanlings and younger cattle over the winter. An excellent service was provided but, nonetheless, after six months the operators of the Purbeck said the ferry was losing money. We did not get the support we would have liked from the industry, the co-operatives or the producers. There were vacant spaces on the ship most weeks, both for dry goods and cattle, and the arrangement was about to collapse until the farming organisations, the exporters and the Department of Agriculture and Food came together a week ago to further support the service. I confirm that support will be for one month to allow some breathing space to put together a more substantial package.
I must pay tribute to Tom Parlon, the President of the IFA, the exporters' association, the port of Cork and Gaelic Ferries. The port of Cork has been exceptionally helpful in the whole matter. I hope and expect that the new arrangement will not only be put in place but will remain in place because for a country like Ireland, which depends on exports, we need access to the markets by way of a ferry.
In relation to live exports generally, the last time I left office in excess of 400,000 live cattle were shipped from Ireland. It was a different story when I returned to office last summer; the trade had totally collapsed. I do not blame anybody for that because BSE was the main cause.
It took the Minister a long time to open some of the markets. He did not do that in three years.
I remember a major announcement being made on the day of the election. I thought we would be shipping cattle before the day was out.
That was not political.
There is a difficulty and I have the figures for the first quarter of this year. We have exported 34,391 live cattle from Ireland as against 14,078 for the same period last year.
The Minister knows the reason for that.
At the same time, let us ensure a degree of accuracy in the matter.
There is a need to prioritise.
There is need for a live trade because we need access to all markets and we want to have a degree of competition within the country. It has been proven over and over again that the live trade, more than anything else, is reflected in the marts. I and my predecessors made every effort to retain access to all markets as far as was possible and to ensure that markets in Egypt and Libya, the two countries which represented the best uptake of live cattle from Ireland in recent years, are reopened as soon as possible.
I concur with Deputy Connaughton's comments on the fringe connection. The difficulty about the stop-go approach is that nobody seems to be sure what is happening, particularly the producers.
On live exports to Libya and the Egyptian trade, at every meeting I attended in the months running up to the election, at which the Minister of State was also present, our party and the Tánaiste at the time were treated as a whipping boy, not alone by every farming organisation but by every Fianna Fáil politician because of all the things they could and should do but were not doing. When we produced evidence of the work we were doing we got no thanks and no credit. Nothing has changed in these two markets since then. The IFA has made some progress in Libya, but animals have not left here to go there and live trade has not been reopened with the Egyptians in spite of all our efforts.
The current Government was supposed to have political influence with the Libyans and promised that trade with them would be opened once it was in office, but I have been extremely disappointed. The live trade is a fundamental part of the cattle industry. Unless we have that outlet, the trade will be dominated by the factories, and we know what the cost of that will be to farmers. We are with the Minister in what he wants to do, but we do not think he is doing enough. He should show more initiative, use the diplomacy that is available to him and which he asked us to use. Now that it is available to him he should use it and we might get some cattle to Libya, Egypt, Iran and other places where we have all been trying for the past two years to open markets. Now that the Minister is in power, and all the ambassadors and foreign ministers are available to him, he should do what he said he would do and he will have the support of every one of us.
Everything that can be done is being done.
And everything that could be done was done?
You are a powerful Government in exile.
I agree with that. My predecessor visited Tripoli in July 1996. He also visited Cairo. We heard the announcement on the day of the election. Above and beyond the call of duty visitations were made and technical delegations were sent. Similarly on this occasion, I have been to Cairo and I have been in contact with the Libyan authorities. My Minister of State, Deputy Ned O'Keeffe, went to Rome and met the Libyan Minister for Agriculture. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy David Andrews, made direct contact with his counterpart in Tripoli and invited a technical delegate to Ireland. Our chief veterinary officer and our top technical people have gone to those countries. Our ambassadors are in constant touch there and we have provided them with any assurances they requested. When I was in Cairo the case was made to me that Egypt took about 25,000 tonnes of Irish beef in 1996. Last year they took almost double that. They make the point that the increase in the amount of beef more than compensates for the number of live cattle. I made the point that live cattle were a critical element as far as we were concerned, that we need the live trade. To that end, not alone did we send technical delegations at veterinary level but we also sent engineers to make sure that one of their plants was dedicated and revamped to slaughter Irish live cattle, because they were concerned about the removal of risk material following the BSE problem, which we agreed to sort out for them. That was done and all assurances were given. Nevertheless, when it comes to doing a deal and making arrangements, it takes two to do it. We want to sell cattle. The Egyptians and the Libyans can buy them, but until they make a decision to buy, we can only continue to exert as much political, diplomatic and technical pressure as we possibly can, and we are doing that.
The Minister is a bad salesman. It has come to my notice that, through an exporter, a trade mission from Bosnia sought to be met here in Dublin on this issue and up to last week nobody invited them for a meeting or acknowledged their request. If that happened, it is evidence of the malaise that exists in that we are ignoring potential markets.
Can the Minister confirm or deny that the Egyptians are looking for financial assistance or personnel from the Irish Government to deal with specified risk material in Egypt if the live export trade is to be reopened? Is there also a question of funding a permanent delegation from the Egyptian veterinary authorities in Dublin before any progress can be made on reopening markets? If that is the case, is the Government prepared to meet those demands?
When the current Minister was in power previously he closed the port of Greenore. That proves his lack of commitment. His junior minister reopened it. When the Minister was on this side of the House he said that the only reason these markets were not being opened was that the Taoiseach of the day and, above all, the Tánaiste and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the day did not go out to those countries. Is the Government committed to reopening those markets? The Minister is obviously making some effort, but there does not seem to be any commitment from the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste or the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Some members of the Minister's party went to Iran and claimed responsibility in Opposition for opening the market there. The Minister is now in Government and farmers are looking for a commitment and delivery of those markets that the three Ministers sitting opposite said could be easily opened.
I have no knowledge of the matter relating to Bosnia but if Deputy Connaughton gives me the details I will follow it up. Regarding Deputy Creed's question on Egypt, to my knowledge there has been no request for additional personnel or financial support in relation to any aspect of the reopening of the market there. The point the Egyptians made over and over again is that they are pleased with the quality of Irish beef and want to continue to import it. Already this year they have imported 10,000 tonnes of Irish beef which is the equivalent of 30,000 head of cattle. The reason they are doing that is that they are assured the beef they receive is the same as that available domestically and throughout the European Union. They are happy that any risk material is removed from it. We want the live trade opened in parallel and we continue to make every effort to achieve that. All assurances have been given.
Greenore was closed for some time to ensure that standards were met. There are rigorous standards for animal welfare on which I will insist. In exporting live cattle layerage, ventilation, feed, water and a total absence of cruelty are necessary.
It happened overnight.
We will insist on such standards without apology. We have not had difficulties with standards in recent years. We surpass the highest EU standards. If there is any diminution of standards there will be difficulties for those responsible.
With regard to the live trade, the Government is making every possible effort. In the case of Egypt it was unprecedented for an Irish Minister to visit there when they had an acute difficulty with violence. The Minister, Deputy McDaid, visited Egypt and supported the tourism industry there. That was done in the interests of goodwill and in supporting our case to have the live cattle trade reopened. At prime ministerial level Irish agriculture is always a priority in bilateral meetings.
