Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 13 Feb 1997

Vol. 474 No. 8

Written Answers. - Live Exports.

Noel Dempsey

Ceist:

125 Mr. Dempsey asked the Minister for the Marine if the EU Transport Council meeting in December 1996 addressed in any way the difficulties facing Irish livestock exporters in view of the fact that they can only rely on one ferry company in order to continue their trade with Europe and the rest of the world. [4091/97]

Minister for the Marine (Mr. Barrett)

The EU Council of Maritime Transport Ministers' meeting in December 1996 considered proposals and adopted a resolution aimed at maintaining and developing the EU shipping sector as a whole but did not directly address specific problem areas, which in any event were not on the Council agenda.

The transport of livestock by sea is a matter for arrangement between the exporters and the private shipping interests and my Department has in the past year brought the two sides together to explore how more capacity could be made available for the livestock trade by mutual agreement between them.

I am confident that arising out of the resolution adopted at the December Council action will follow at Union level which will facilitate the expansion of shipping services generally both here and throughout the Union. The various initiatives taken by me in the past year together with the incentives announced in the budget are in tune with the current Union thinking and should encourage the private interests here to invest more in shipping, including vessels for the carriage of livestock.