Vol. 548 No. 4
13 Mr. McGahon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the number of live cattle exported to third countries during 2001; the destinations in this regard; the efforts being made to increase these markets and to open new ones; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5001/02]
Some 11,657 live cattle were exported to the Lebanon during the year 2001.
With regard to markets generally, I am particularly concerned to ensure that Irish livestock and meat producers have unrestricted access to all of our important markets worldwide. In addition to the Lebanon, the other traditional third country markets for live cattle exports from Ireland have been Libya and Egypt.
An agreement signed with Libya in June 2000 provided that Ireland would be officially listed as a source country for all Libyan tenders for the supply of live cattle. Since then, however, the Libyan Foreign Minister indicated that it had not been possible to import live cattle because of what he called logistical problems and that Libya would buy beef directly. Libya subsequently issued tenders for the supply of beef and Ireland was included in the list of countries invited to tender. I understand that a number of Irish companies submitted bids at that time. Efforts at diplomatic and technical level are continuing to ensure that the agreement, in so far as it relates to cattle exports, signed with Libya is fully implemented.
With regard to live cattle exports to Egypt the position is that proposals for a trial shipment of live cattle were submitted to the Egyptian authorities in 1997 but these proposals were not implemented. The lack of a market for live cattle exports to Egypt has been, however, more than offset by the volume of trade in beef exports to that country in recent years.
