Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:283. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the significant and growing divergence, amounting to €364 million in 2013, between Bord Bia and the official CSO statistics on beef exports both in term of value and volume in view of the importance of reliable statistics for beef exports in terms of trade, GDP, farming incomes and public policy generally; his further views on this unacceptable statistical uncertainty; if in view of the ongoing dispute between Irish beef farmers and processors regarding the gap between Irish and UK beef prices he will confirm whether he has full confidence in the Bord Bia data on the volume and value of beef exports to the UK; the action he and the Department have taken to date to reconcile the unprecedented divergences in Ireland's food exports as published by the two State bodies; if the Bord Bia data on exports prove to be unreliable whether he will correct the record of Dáil Éireann of 8 February 2014 when he informed Dáil Éireann that the value of Irish beef exports was estimated at €2.1 billion in 2013 whereas the comparable official CSO figure is €1.73 billion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46216/14]
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