Mary Wallace
Ceist:239 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if his attention has been drawn to the current crisis in the livestock industry where efforts to have export refunds restored to a viable level have been unsuccessful leading to losses of up to £70 per head for winter fatteners; if his attention has further been drawn to concern in the farming industry of the fact that these producers are the vital players in the market each spring as they ensure an all year round supply of cattle to the market place and the ongoing concerns that under current conditions these producers will be drawn out of business and that this will have the effect of increasing the autumn seasonality bulge in cattle supply, a situation which in the past has led to an autumn price collapse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2324/96]