Cecilia Keaveney
Ceist:52 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when it is expected that live cattle exports to Libya will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17434/00]
Written Answers. - Live Exports.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, accompanied by senior officials of my Department, visited Libya on 8-9 June last and concluded an agreement with the Libyan authorities which, inter alia, provided for a lifting of the ban on the import of live cattle from Ireland. The agreement provides also that Ireland will be officially listed as a source country for all tenders opened by Libya for the supply of live cattle. This satisfactory outcome was the culmination of sustained diplomatic and political contact with the Libyan authorities.
I myself visited Libya in August 1999 and had detailed and technical discussions with the relevant authorities in relation to the resumption of the cattle trade. The Taoiseach met with Colonel Ghadaffi during the Cairo EU African summit in April last and also raised the matter of the live cattle ban. Normally Libya, which has an annual requirement for up to 200,000 live cattle, issues a tender for cattle supplies in the second half of the year and I would expect, in line with the recently signed agreement, that Ireland will be eligible to submit offers. At that stage it will be a matter for commercial exporters to bid successfully with a view to resuming this traditional trade. My understanding is that Irish cattle should be price competitive in this market.