I wish to share my time with Deputy McGrath.
Adjournment Debate. - Live Exports.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
The decision to withdraw the MV Venus roll-on roll-off ship which carried over 3,000 Irish weanlings to France and Italy has cost farmers as much as £50 per head at marts this week. The reason for the withdrawal of the ship merits an urgent explanation as only a few months ago it passed the most stringent requirements for the shipment of live cattle on roll-on roll-off ships. Not alone did the ship meet the requirements, some of the regulations, such as the density of lorries carried, were more severe than those to which other ferries carrying live cattle have to adhere.
This ship has been particularly successful for its Greek owners on this route in recent months. It appears that the French port authorities issued an ultimatum after inspection, that the ship would have to be withdrawn or it would be impounded. Sources close to the ship say it was a well-appointed ship, eminently suitable for the transport of live cattle, and an inspection, indicated that only very minor adjustments would have to be made.
There is a deep-rooted belief in cattle export circles that the ship was forced to withdraw for commercial reasons. Other shipping lines increased prices weeks ago but this company did not indicate that it would follow this trend. It is difficult to understand why there should be different laws within the EU governing the suitability of roll-on roll-off ships for the transport of live cattle across the Continent. If there are other verifiable, anti-competitive factors at work the EU should investigate them as a matter of urgency.
The Minister of State should contact his French counterpart to see what is going on. Farmers have had a bad year in 1999. The only bright spot was the export of good quality live calves and weanlings to the Continent. The Government must make every effort to clear up this matter as there are thousands of such cattle on farms and many farmers are wondering if this will be a second bad winter.
The export of live cattle from Ireland is the lifeline of the farming community as demonstrated by the drop of £40 to £50 per head for weanlings in the marts this week. The withdrawal of the MV Venus from the Cork to St. Malo route spells disaster for many farmers who are already on their knees because of an all-time low in farming. This ship carried up to 80 trucks and 300 passengers three times a week from Cork to France. Up to 14 cattle trucks were carried on each sailing, giving a weekly export market valued at about £1.3 million to farmers.
It is interesting that since the MV Venus came on-stream eight months ago, the number of fully-licensed and approved livestock trucks has risen from 30 to 105. This shows the growth in the live export trade and the positive effect that this vessel has had on the volume of live exports. This ship is fully approved by the Departments of the Marine and Natural Resources and Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. However, the French authorities have warned that it may be impounded on its next visit to St. Malo, hence the withdrawal of the service in the past few days.
The Minister of State must pull out all the stops to reopen this route. It is important that he clarifies the situation. If this ship is approved by the Irish authorities, why is it not also approved by the French authorities? He also needs to clarify whether there are different regulations governing different ships. Can some carriers have a higher percentage of vehicles with livestock on board than this ship and, if so, why? Even though 14 trucks could be carried, is it the case that they were required to take up the space of over 20 lorries? Are we trying to help live exports or are we happy to see this route closed for other reasons? The Minister of State must clarify his position and outline the steps he is taking to reopen this important route for farmers.
I thank Deputies Connaughton and McGrath for raising this important topic. I was concerned to learn last weekend that the owners of the MV Venus had interrupted its service for the transportation of live animals from Cork to St. Malo and Cherbourg in France. The decision as to whether to provide a service of this nature is, in the first instance, a commercial one for the owners of the vessel. I take issue with the exaggerated statement about a £50 drop in the price of weanlings. That is erroneous and typical of—
The Minister of State must be going to the wrong marts.
We are coming to the end of the weanling season. I am not a marine expert but I visited the ship and kept in close contact with it. I was influential in getting the capacity raised from ten to 14 trailers some months ago, which was very important for the livestock industry.
We appreciated that initiative.
Ireland will export almost 300,000 live cattle this year. If that is not a commitment from Government, I do not know what is. Cattle prices at factories and in the marts this year are substantially higher than this time last year and we have the highest livestock numbers ever. Notwithstanding this fact, I am making inquiries into the matter. I understand that the vessel is returning to Greece for its annual service and it is unclear what will happen subsequently. I have not been contacted by the owners or by the French authorities concerning this matter.
The MV Venus was approved by my Department for the carriage of livestock in July 1999. It was one of only five additional vessels approved since the beginning of the year, the remaining four being dedicated to the carriage of livestock. This brought to 17 the number of dedicated ships approved for the carriage of livestock, with a capacity of over 23,000 head of cattle per sailing. All these dedicated ships have been approved for transporting cattle to the Continent, while two have also been approved for markets further afield, such as the Middle East, which has been a big success.
In addition to these dedicated vessels, a further three roll-on roll-off vessels, including the MV Venus, with a total capacity of 72 livestock units per week, have also been approved. It is clear that everything possible has been done to facilitate the carriage of livestock to our markets in Europe and the Middle East. The most recent figures for cattle exports are a testament to the efforts in this regard.
The figure for total exports of cattle to mid-November 1999 was 370,000, more than two and a half times the 142,500 cattle exported in the same period last year. The previous year was a total disaster. Of these, exports to the Continent amounted to 293,200 compared to 117,800 in the same period last year. There has been a record level of exports and a record level of capacity and every reasonable request as regards inspecting and improving capacity has been facilitated.
The MV Venus has the capability to carry a large number of animals, but it is one of a number of approved carriers. The exact nature of the current difficulties is not clear and it is certainly not clear whether they relate to the conditions for the transport of animals or to other issues. My understanding is that the owners have been given a list of repairs by the French authorities and, if these are resolved, there would seem to be no reason why the sailings should not resume. I repeat that my Department has discharged its function in regard to inspecting and approving the ship. However, we will continue to monitor the situation.